Stardate 12.08.2025
Yesterday, something small and unexpected slipped into my life — and somehow carried years of meaning with it.
While I was walking through my day job, Cedar, one of our associates who hands out food samples with the joy of someone sprinkling kindness like confetti, approached me with a handmade gift. During her breaks, she knits little creatures, and this time she crafted a bright green octopus.
She had no idea the octopus had already been living in my imagination as an illustration for how our department is changing — becoming more mobile, more supportive, and more connected to every branch of our building. Like an octopus reaching out with eight purposeful arms, we’re branching beyond our desks thanks to new laptops and a mindset shift. I even shared this idea with our CEO, Ron, who began his own journey with us back when he was a part-time forklift driver attending the same community college I once called home in Arizona.
I asked Cedar, “Does this little one have a name?”
She smiled. “I prefer the person receiving it to choose.”
I paused… and the name Molly bubbled up. Irish, friendly, familiar. My dad gave that nickname to his second wife. When I reached for a last name, McGee appeared in my mind like it was waiting for me. And suddenly, Janis Joplin’s “Me and Bobby McGee,” one of the most-played songs on my dad’s jukebox at Mulligan’s, came rushing back.
In that moment, my past and present gently folded into each other — my childhood, my college years, the ache of my dad leaving, and the life I’m building now. And now Molly McGee has taken her place in my home studio, right beside my dad’s old fake shillelagh stick… another relic of my story, redeemed and repurposed.
If you ever stop by my home, ask for a tour of the studio. Mulligan’s Magical Forest is growing — one creature, one story, one healing moment at a time. The next chapter of my life will be broadcast from this sacred little sanctuary. If you haven’t yet read God’s Black Sheep Squadron, it pairs beautifully with the spirit of today’s story — especially now that Molly and the shillelagh have joined the cast.
May you live long and prosper. Have a great day.
🖖
Captain’s Addendum
Spock: “Doctor, it appears Michael’s forest continues to expand. An octopus named Molly, crafted by a woman named Cedar is… statistically unexpected.”
Bones: “Spock, everything about Michael is statistically unexpected. That’s why it works.”
Spock: “Perhaps. Though I find it intriguing that a symbolic octopus could inspire structural efficiency.”
Bones: “Well, you would. But I say if a knitted cephalopod can help a man grow, heal, and stay connected — then hand me a needle and some yarn.”
Spock: “Fascinating.”
Michael: Sometimes the smallest gifts arrive at the exact moment God wants to remind us He’s still weaving meaning through our memories — one thread, one creature, one healing breath at a time.
Scripture for the Journey
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” — Psalm 147:3
A reminder that even the tender places of our stories can become the soil where new life grows.
Mission Log
Molly McGee officially joins Mulligan’s Magical Forest as a symbol of connection — past to present, heart to healing, calling to creativity.
Thank you for sharing this moment with me today. May this story invite you to look for the gentle surprises God places in your own path… the ones that remind you you’re still growing, still held, and still being guided home.
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