Defining Moments

Defining Moments

Stardate 04.18.2026

It feels like something has quietly shifted.

A long dry spell has ended. If you’ve been walking with me through these pages, you know exactly what I mean. There are seasons where effort feels heavy, where progress seems hidden beneath the surface, where you wonder if the seeds you’ve been planting will ever break through the soil.

Today feels different.

Today feels like alignment.

Last night our community gathered for a pickleball fundraiser, and what unfolded was more than an event. It was a reminder of what happens when people rally around something good. Business leaders, friends, supporters, and pickleball enthusiasts filled the room shoulder to shoulder. Laughter echoed. Conversations overlapped. Generosity moved freely from table to table.

By the end of the night, over $20,000 had been raised toward four outdoor courts. We are so close to the finish line now we can almost see it.

In the middle of the evening, I had the privilege of speaking with both parents of Kaden Wetjen, the young man who generously donated autographed footballs and jerseys to support the cause. His mom asked where she could get copies of Where in the World is Wilson? — the coloring book that features her son on the front cover.

I smiled and told her not to worry. It was already taken care of.

Early this morning, during golden hour, I placed an order for 100 author copies. The first ten will be gifts to her. She hasn’t even seen the book yet. It felt right that she should be among the very first.

Those copies are scheduled to arrive just in time for our Children's Miracle Network Hospitals fundraiser at my day job on May 1.

Sometimes the timing of things feels less like coincidence and more like choreography.

Yesterday, a package also arrived from my international blog sponsor, DoNotAge, ahead of a partner-only product release. I’ve been using their research-backed supplements for some time, and I’ll be dedicating the next seven days to a health and wellness series centered around what I’ve learned.

It feels fitting. Body, mind, and spirit all being brought back into alignment at the same time.

Later today, after cardio tennis, I’ll finish the garage shelf project I started earlier this week. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s a necessary step toward a much bigger dream project waiting in the wings. One board, one hinge, one step at a time.

I’ve also been quietly working on a pilot project with leaders at my day job. They’ll be visiting soon to see what I’ve been building. My hope is simple: that the effort makes a difference. If I’m given permission, I’ll share more about it here.

And as if to underline the theme of the day, tornado warnings circled our area yesterday afternoon. Dark clouds gathered. Winds picked up. Radar alerts chimed across phones in the room.

Then, just before the fundraiser began, the skies cleared. The sun came out. The house filled.

You can’t script moments like that.

You can only notice them.

I want to pause here and thank friends, family, and this community for standing with me through some challenging seasons. There were days when progress felt invisible. There were days when I questioned if any of this mattered.

Last night answered that question.

We are nearing final city approval to build the courts in Williamsburg. The books are on the way. The fundraiser for the children’s hospital is around the corner. Health week begins today. The shelf is almost finished. New doors are opening at work.

The drought is over.

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” — Galatians 6:9

Maybe today is one of those “proper times.”

Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong

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Captain’s Addendum

Spock raised an eyebrow. “Fascinating, Captain. You appear to believe these events are connected.”

Bones folded his arms. “Or maybe the man’s just been doing the right thing long enough for the results to catch up.”

I smiled at them both.

Sometimes defining moments don’t arrive with fireworks. They arrive when you realize the quiet, faithful steps you’ve been taking have finally met their moment.

One percent better. One day at a time.

Thank you for walking this road with me.