Many of us – including me – take our biggest blessings for granted. Not only do I overlook everyday blessings, but I am quite often ungrateful for the biggest gifts in my life.
Instead of being grateful for the ability to hear my rambunctious boys, I tell them to be quiet.
Instead of being grateful for the ability to see my daughter’s ... Read More
I was doing my daily mom carpool recently when my 3-year-old son, Ben, piped up from the back seat.
“Mom, what does yannoy mean?”
Yannoy? My brain started turning over every word in Webster’s dictionary trying to figure out what Yannoy means.
“Yannoy, Ben?”
“No! Annoy, Mom. What does annoy mean?”
As I used words, like bother and bug, to help him grasp the concept ... Read More
I have a sneaking suspicion winter is going to come back to Fargo-Moorhead this year. Hopefully, it won’t last until May like it did last year.
It’s OK to joke about the nine months of winter we get in North Dakota and Minnesota and how hearty we Norwegians are, but the truth is, for some people, the snow makes it very ... Read More
Five years ago, I went through one of the scariest experiences of my life. I found a lump in one of my breasts.
I made an appointment to see my doctor, truly thinking she’d squelch my fears with the words, “It’s nothing.”
Instead, she said, “We better get that checked out,” and scheduled me for an ultrasound.
The results of the ultrasound pointed ... Read More
I recently realized I’ve been writing this column for almost exactly two years. I still remember standing on stage at The Avalon in downtown Fargo for the launch party of the new SheSays section. I felt so proud to be included in such a prominent group of female writers and more than a little overwhelmed and intimidated.
I was nervous writing ... Read More
I have a special friend who comes to nearly every Bison basketball game. I can always count on him to be waiting near the locker room to greet the players, but he’ll leave his post when he sees me, and that’s always my favorite part of the night. He wraps his arms around me in a hug that allows me ... Read More
A few weeks ago I got a last-minute invitation to attend an annual event called “Pray for Gray.”
Julie Fletcher began the foundation and the fundraiser as a way to provide hope and support for brain tumor patients and their families.
The project is dear to Julie’s heart. Doctors found a pear-sized tumor on Julie’s right frontal lobe after she suffered an ... Read More
Do you want to know what terrifies me? The thought of 350 children in a gym with me in charge.
That is exactly the scenario I was faced with a few weeks ago at Longfellow Elementary in Fargo.
The principal called and asked if I would be willing to speak at an all-school assembly on the importance of kindness. I was so ... Read More
Get a daily dose of inspiration from Nicole at facebook.com/nicolejphillips.
When I worked on TV, my husband always said I considered it a job well done if I could make people at home laugh while I was delivering the news.
Now that I write for the paper, he is accusing me of trying to make people cry.
The other day, Aug. 24 to ... Read More
Get a Daily Dose of Inspiration from Nicole each morning on Facebook! Visit www.facebook.com/nicolejphillips.
I love college football. No, that’s a lie. I love being in a stadium surrounded by all the fanfare that goes with college football. The actual game, I could take or leave.
There are lots of opportunities to cheer on your favorite team today. The ... Read More
