Nicole

Suzanne and Nicole

Everybody needs a friend who has life experiences they can share to help you make the best decisions possible.  Nicole is that kind of friend for me.  I can always count on her to share her advice and expertise and to tell  what she has learned along the way.  Nicole was two years ahead of me at Trinity.  She gave me advice about applying for jobs within the school system and around the college, student teaching, credit card annual charges, putting anti-freeze in my gas tank, and how to change a flat tire.  Whenever I ask her a question about something I don't know, she never makes me feel ignorant, and she has the gift of explaining very clearly and practically. 

Chicago, my kind of town!

She and Alaine lived down the hall from me my freshman year of college at Trinity.  They were a hilarious duo.  I always enjoyed hanging out with them.  They were experts at having fun no matter the circumstances.  They also loved practical jokes.  Once I toilet-papered their room thinking they would have no clue who it was.  Somehow they discovered it was me, and they did the same to my room but with the added bonus of stringing my bras and panties on a clothes line from one wall to the other.  One of them was able to get the phrase "Pink Cats Rule!" printed randomly in the daily campus publication called The Trinity Times.  It was a daily bulletin announcing birthdays, upcoming events, chapel schedules, etc.  The phrase was highlighted,  in pink of course, and displayed on every bulletin board and residence hall on campus.  Hilarious!   

We took camping trips, hiked at Starved Rock, and even took a bus trip from Chicago to Washington, D.C., with Sandy and Chris.  That was a memorial trip:  We visited the White House and several memorials, I got to meet Pat Buchanan, and we reenacted the Iwo Jima at the Mall by the John Paul Jones statue. 



Nicole the morning after her surgery...
Happy Thanksgiving!

Nicole is my hero because she spends her days teaching at an inner-city school in the heart of the west side of Chicago.  She has taught 6th grade and special education and has gotten two master's degrees since graduating from Trinity.  She is a hard worker with a desire to help all her students despite the difficult demands placed on public school teachers.

Cancer is a scary word.  My friend Nicole knows it full well.  Her mother lost her battle with cancer when Nicole was just 15 years old.  Last fall, right after my birthday, Nicole called me and said she had some unexpected news to share.  She asked me to sit down.  Then she bravely told me the doctor had found cancer on her thyroid, and told her it needed to be surgically removed.   She wanted to wait until January, but the doctor said it should take place as soon as possible.  It was decided that it would happen over Thanksgiving break.  I told her I would fly out to be with her during her recovery.  She gratefully accepted.  Nicole did not ever use the word cancer.  She said she didn't want to claim it, but instead she wanted to believe the report of the Lord--that by His stripes she was healed.

I flew out Wednesday (I got bumped to first class--my first time and hopefully not my last!). Nicole's dad dropped her off early the morning of the surgery, and the surgery was supposed to take two to five hours, but ended up being almost nine hours long.  I met Nicole at the hospital early on Thanksgiving morning to take her home.  I had to tiptoe past her sleeping (snoring) roommate and was so excited to see Nicole!  Nicole was sitting up, dressed, and ready to go home.  Everything went like clockwork, but the doctor said he was glad they did the surgery when they did because the entire thyroid was deteriorated.

Lovely flowers from
her sweet family!

We then went to the pharmacy to fill her prescriptions and spent most of Thanksgiving Day there.  It was our first Thanksgiving together and quite memorable!  I made food, and I brought the DVD Anne of Green Gables for us to watch.  That movie always made me feel better when I was ill, so I thought it would do the trick.  People at my school sent devotionals for her to read and comedies to watch.  Nicole was touched by everybody's concern for her--especially since they had never met her but had committed to pray for her.   Throughout the time I was there, Nicole never once complained even though she received a nasty burn on her back from how they had her placed on the operating table.  She recovered nicely and has gotten good results for each body scan.  Her doctor is pleased with Nicole's progress! 

God indeed healed her!



Ready to roll!

Nicole has not let this unexpected bump in the road stop her in the least.  She continues to work two jobs--her teaching job and her after school care job.  During the summer she teaches summer school and heads up child care for her school.  Her school is year round, so she gets two days of summer vacation.  In her free time she takes her daughter, Carrie, to softball and/or basketball practice, games, and tournaments.  Nicole pours herself into others providing for her family. 

I am grateful for her guidance, advice, and laughter.  She loves funny movies, the Hallmark channel, easy and nutritious recipes, and good music.  She is athletic, is an astute history buff, and spends Sunday evening ironing for the week ahead.  Her closet is full of only pressed shirts, skirts,  and pants.  It is truly something to be admired.  She laughs at me when I say we are experiencing cold weather in Virginia.  She lives in the Windy City of Chicago and rarely wears a coat.  When I visited her this winter, I brought my scarf, gloves, and warm coat.  She kept her coat in the back seat of her car.

When my camera broke a few years ago, I casually mentioned my disappointment, and a few days later, she mailed me her unused one.  I was overwhelmed by her kindness!  When I flew out to see her, she insisted on hiring a car service to pick me up at the airport and take me to her home.  She generously paid for my taxi on the return trip back to the airport.  When I returned home after her surgery, she sent me a box of Harry & David's pears with the sweetest note of thanks attached.   That is just like Nicole to be so thoughtful. 

I wish nothing but God's very best for her.  And a real summer vacation.  And a continued clean bill of health.  And many more happy memories!


So thankful for this dear friend!