Author: nicole

I love my kids. In fact, I love all kids. Especially the littlest ones, who see things that I used to see, but for some reason I miss now that I’m all grown up.

This story from Lana Schlecht, a dentist in Ellendale, N.D., reminds me that it often takes a child to see what the rest of us are missing.

“Dear ... Read More


Baby, it’s COLD … so today, my act of kindness is to remind you that even in Fargo, summer will make her triumphant return.

This story from Keith in north Fargo may not have warmed my toes, but it sure did warm my heart.

“On a warm Saturday afternoon in July, a young woman biked up to our door selling children’s books. ... Read More


Every year, Mother Nature seems to do her best to force us to show kindness to each other. Who knows how she will get to us this year, maybe a blizzard, maybe a flood, maybe both.

A north Fargo woman sent me this story, reminding me how nice it is to know that regardless of what comes our way, we can ... Read More


It’s that time of year. The toys that were brand new just a few weeks ago are quickly being forgotten.

The favorites may find a special spot on the shelf, but the rest are stuffed under the bed or shoved into an already too-full closet of goodies.

Some would say my children are spoiled. I happen to believe that spoiled is an ... Read More


How many times do we run into the same people over and over again and yet still never get to know them?

Maybe you can tell me a lot about your hairdresser, but what about the man who rings you up every other week at the gas station? Or the woman who makes you coffee on Monday mornings? Or the person ... Read More


A short conversation, a brief email, and a few giving hearts – I’ve found Kindness is Contagious through my friends.

I was at a basketball game a few weeks ago when I ran into a friend with an interesting story. My friend started telling me about Mary, a woman she knows with uterine cancer.

Mary has no husband, no kids, a job ... Read More


I am so inspired by the kindness I see during the holiday season. At church, there is a tree covered with hats and mittens. At the YMCA, there is a nearly empty tree because people have taken all the name tags and are now out shopping for toys. At the grocery store, there is a bright red kettle that creates ... Read More


 

I love it when life knocks you over the head. That happened to me this week. I was struggling to write this column. I have a few other things going on in my life: my husband was out of town, I took my kids to Minneapolis for the weekend, my husband came home, I ended up sick in bed, I ... Read More


I wanted to give my children something really valuable for Christmas this year. I wanted to write down why I love them so they will always remember.

I thought this would be an easy gift to give, but in writing this letter to my children, I’ve discovered it’s really difficult to put into words why you love someone. It’s way more ... Read More


By Nicole Phillips There’s something about being kind and being grateful that work together in my mind. I haven’t figured it all out, but it seems that the best way to repay people for stepping out of their comfort zones and helping others is to show them that their actions matter.

People don’t necessarily do things just to hear how ... Read More