Editor’s note: Nicole Phillips will continue to write her column after she moves in May to Ohio with her family.
My family is about to go through a period of major upheaval.
My husband, as many of you know, is a basketball coach and most recently got to run all over the court in pure unbridled joy after the North Dakota State University’s men’s basketball team beat Oklahoma in the NCAA tournament.
Things quieted down for a while – until I got a call last Friday afternoon from my husband saying he would be going to an interview that evening. Just before bed the next night, Saul and I decided it was time to give something new a try.
That was one week ago.
The next day I put our house on the market and then hopped on a plane to spend five days on the campus of Ohio University trying to figure out if Bobcats bite. It turns out, people in Athens are pretty nice, too.
During my 13 years as a coach’s wife, I’ve seen what happens when people break allegiances and head for new schools. People at the old school get mad. And mean.
So when this all went down, I became incredibly scared to answer my phone, open my email or venture into the world of Facebook. I wasn’t sure my heart could handle people telling me they thought we were making selfish, money-hungry decisions.
What happened last Sunday morning when the news broke still brings tears to my eyes.
I got a text message from the president of NDSU asking me what he could do to help me make the move less stressful. The president of the school! Where does that happen? Fargo.
I had a girlfriend ask how she could help. When I jokingly said, “Sell my house for me,” she did. In five hours. Where does that happen? Fargo.
Another friend came over and literally took clothes out of my closet and put them in my suitcase because I was too overwhelmed to pack for the weeklong trip. Where does that happen? Fargo.
I had more people than I can count taking the time to say they would be praying for my family’s smooth transition. Where does that happen? Fargo.
You guys, this community is amazing. Amazing. There is nothing Saul or I have ever done to deserve the kindness shown to us over the past week or over the past 10 years.
You have reached out and touched my heart in such a profound way that I don’t even have words to express my gratitude. I just had to use the space in this kindness column to say, “Thank you.” You will never know just how much your kindness has meant to me.
Please continue to share your stories of kindness with me at info@nicolejphillips.com. Or send a letter to Kindness is Contagious c/o Nicole J. Phillips, The Forum, 101 5th St. N., Box 2020, Fargo, ND 58107.
Nicole J. Phillips is a former television anchor for Fox News in Fargo. She is a writer, speaker and mother of three kids. Nicole is married to Ohio University’s men’s head basketball coach Saul Phillips. Her columns run every Saturday. You can also get a Daily Dose of Inspiration from Nicole at www.nicolejphillips.com.
