Author: nicole

I don’t think too many people wake up on a Saturday morning and say, “Today I am going to be kind.” I think sometimes, kindness just sort of happens.

But I do believe that when it happens once, it’s likely to happen again, because as Daphne Meyers from Fargo writes, even if you didn’t set out to be kind, the feeling ... Read More


If you moved out of the Fargo-Moorhead area, would you still read The Forum? I am constantly amazed by the number of people who write to me, saying they grew up in this community, have moved away, but still like to keep up on what’s happening here.

Kevin Plummer is a great example of that. He’s also a great example of ... Read More


I’m about to use this newspaper space for my own selfish reasons. Oops, not a good start in an Easter weekend, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take.

It’s a risk I’m willing to take because I know there is a group of teen moms in Fargo who sleep without blankets, so their babies can have them instead. Those same ... Read More


Girl Scout cookies. Those three words breed some strange mix of excitement and anxiety deep inside my soul.

I love Girl Scout cookies. I’m always excited when I start hearing about them because it means spring is on the way.

But things have changed since I was a Girl Scout. Way back then, we put on our little Brownie vests, stomped up ... Read More


If the quickest way to man’s heart is through his stomach, then the quickest way to a mom’s heart is through her children.

Nothing melts my heart faster than someone showing kindness to my kids.

Rachel Heggen, a Fargo mom, must have been a puddle after meeting a very kind woman at the Fargodome. Here’s her story:

“My daughter, Abigail, had just turned ... Read More


Imagine if you could do one thing today that someone else would remember six decades from now.

It’s very possible that something you say or do, either positive or negative, will make such an impact on another person that he or she will remember it for years to come.

Don’t believe me? Ask Maxine Jeffries from Underwood, Minn. Here’s the letter she ... Read More


I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, “What goes around comes around.” That seems to be especially true when it comes to acts of kindness.

Anna, from Fargo, goes out of her way to make other people feel special. Luckily, karma caught up with her.

“Hi, Nicole, I wanted to share a moment that has stayed with me. It has shown me how ... Read More


I like chocolate. A lot. In fact, I like chocolate almost as much as I like people who go out of their way to be kind. Maybe that’s why I like this story, sent in by Tina Kraft of Fargo, so much. It’s full of sweetness!

“Nicole, I am a wife and a mother to four wonderful sons and a disabled ... Read More


There’s a church in town giving away money. If the idea of eternal riches won’t get you through the door, then maybe cold, hard cash will.

Twice this past year, Ignite Church in Moorhead passed out a gift to its members. Each member got an envelope filled with cash – $10, $20, $50 or $100. But the cash wasn’t the ... Read More


Have you ever experienced one of those totally uncomfortable moments where everyone is standing around and no one knows quite what to say?

It’s happened to me … when my credit card is inexplicably denied at the grocery store. I want to shout to everyone in line behind me, “I PAY MY BILLS! I SWEAR!” but perhaps that month I had ... Read More