Author: nicole

Clearly I am in summertime mode, because I woke up this morning and had no idea what day it was.

Or should I be saying “is”? See? I’m losing my grip on the English language. It must be summer.

Just after I realized it’s a blog day, I came to a second realization. I have forgotten to collect stories this week to ... Read More


Imagine your reaction if someone told you this…

A woman was sitting in her living room dealing with a terrible ordeal and all of a sudden, a peace that totally goes beyond anything she could understand or imagine or explain came sweeping over her body. In that instant, she suddenly felt happy. Joyful.

Would you think she was crazy?

That woman is me.

You ... Read More


The hardest thing to do when I’m feeling down is the one thing I know will help me feel better. It’s not exercise or sleep or eating healthier meals.

It’s kindness.

I know when I’m at my worst, I have to get my eyes off myself and put them squarely on the needs of others.

It works. Every time.

But it doesn’t just work ... Read More


I never knew nipples were such a big deal. Actually, it’s not the nipple, it’s the areola that’s causing all the problems.

When I stand in front of the mirror, I notice two things:

1) The tattoo I had on my reconstructed side has faded and lost pigmentation in some spots. The tattoo artist told me this could happen and offered to ... Read More


I think it’s a pretty safe bet that we all know what “anxious” means, right? Yeah, I thought so.

But just the same, humor me while I google it…

adjective: anxious

experiencing worry, unease, or nervousness, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome. “she was extremely anxious about her exams”

wanting something very much, typically with a feeling of unease. ... Read More


My friend’s father-in-law recently died. It came on suddenly. It wasn’t supposed to happen that way. They weren’t prepared. I wonder, when it comes to losing someone we love, if we’re ever really prepared.

The hole that’s left while we are mourning seems like an endless chasm, and yet it’s the perfect size for kindness. Kindness shown through phone calls, flowers, ... Read More


I cut the head off a fish the other day. My fingers still smell kind of peculiar.

I wouldn’t exactly call butchering a helpless, flopping fish my kindest act ever, but I had a good reason.

We wanted to eat it.

Last December, Saul and I bought a sad little lake cabin. It desperately wanted to be brought back to life, so little ... Read More


I’ve never been described as a gentle person. At least not to my face, and I’m not sure that’s one of the words that comes up behind my back.

Bold. Direct. Bossy. Brave. Maybe even energetic.

But gentle? No.

We are in the process of memorizing a weekly verse together. Actually it’s a paragraph I’m breaking into verses because my brain likes bite-sized ... Read More


They say what goes around comes around. If you consistently treat others with kindness, you can expect to have a pretty big kindness bank account to draw from when life throws you a curveball.

I’ve seen it happen again and again in my own life, and so has Mary Derosier from Red Lake Falls, Minn., although she and her mom were ... Read More


Gosh. I’m a little ashamed of myself.

I try to keep an open mind and greet others with love and kindness, but it’s been brought to my attention that I have a great big judgement sticker hanging out inside my head.

I’m sure in some ways we all do, because we’re all raised with beliefs that we truly believe. Even if no ... Read More