Two weeks ago, I lost one of the rarest people I've ever known.
David Mulldune; former Marine, Vietnam veteran, author, and one of the most quietly extraordinary souls I've had the privilege of calling a mentor and friend.
I've been sitting with grief and gratitude at the same time.
I first met David when I delivered my very first faith-based speech at a C-Suite For Christ Raleigh-Durham Chapter meeting. He was in the audience.
We spoke briefly afterward, and then one day I picked up the phone and called him.
That call turned into two hours...
He later came on my podcast to share his story (Listen here 🎙️)... a man who once lived only for himself to someone who now does all things for God.
And somewhere in all of it, I told him everything. The deep stuff. The things you don't tell anyone. The heartaches, the wrestling, the parts of yourself you barely admit to anyone.
That kind of conversation doesn't happen often. That kind of person doesn't come along often.
One day at a C-Suite meeting, I noticed someone near me who was clearly going through something, tears were rolling down his face and his head was down. I leaned over and gave him a hug, a simple gesture. Told him I was available if he needed someone to talk to.
I didn't think anyone saw it...
I wasn't doing it to be seen; I was doing it because that's what love looks like. That's what Christ would have done. 🙏
Months later, during one of my calls with David, he brought it up. I had completely forgotten about it. He hadn't...
He said, "You are a rare one, Tara. You have a good heart."
I won't lie...the tears came fast as soon as he said those words. I felt seen, really seen.
Most people look at outward appearances. But the Lord sees our heart. David saw mine. And I saw his.
It got me thinking...
When is the last time you truly felt seen at a heart or soul level?
When is the last time you let someone in? Not just surface-level kind but the deep kind....the heart kind.
What I had with David; I can only call it a soul-friendship. And I am forever grateful for every moment of it. I believe the best way to honor someone like that is to keep showing up; to keep living out loud the very things they believed in you.
The keynote was about being confident in your God-given calling and stepping fully into the leader God designed you to be. A free recording is coming soon (it's currently being edited...stay tuned).
It's not a message for everyone, my content isn't for everyone, and I'm not for everyone. I've made peace with that.
I'm here for the people who want to go deep. The ones who are tired of the noise of this world and are hungry for meaning, purpose, and real connection. The ones who want to get back to what matters most.
If that's you... I'm glad you're here.
PS. If you don't have someone in your life you can talk to about the soul-level stuff, make it a priority to find one. That kind of friendship is rare, but it exists. And you deserve it.
And if I can pray for you about anything, please let me know. 🫶
