Nichole
Nichole, a native of Fort Worth, is a passionate social advocate and philanthropist who uses her own life experiences to inspire and encourage others to overcome adversities. Nichole discovered her passion for helping others as a teen when she served one summer as a volunteer group facilitator for school-aged children at a local apartment complex that served low-income families. She earned a bachelor of arts in psychology from Dallas Baptist University and master of art in professional counseling from Texas Wesleyan University. In 2005, she and her husband welcomed their first son, Eli. He was born at only 24 weeks gestation, weighing one pound, nine ounces, and spent the first three months in neonatal ICU. A year later, their second son was born premature weighing one pound, 12 ounces. He passed away at only 19 days old. Unable to bear the weight of losing one child and another with severe health concerns, her marriage ended. The lessons she learned about life and herself during this time are what motivates her to help other women. Nichole currently serves full-time at a local non-profit; leads a philanthropic group for African American women, Women in Power Empowering; serves as a minister at her church; and uses her story to encourage other women. As the proud and devoted mama of an active teenager, she uses her free time to read, find new recipes on Pinterest, research new adventures for family time, and writing.
I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T
Enjoy the sweet memories of snuggling on the couch and bedtime kisses but appreciate the independent, free-thinker you are raising.
No Tears in the Drop-Off Line
My argument was that it's absolutely healthy for parents to have an emotional response as their children progress through the various stages of development. Parents aren't sad their children are growing up. Instead it's a longing for the days when their sweet baby nestled his or her head under their chin to settle down for a nap. There is an awareness that those moments are gone.
28 Lessons from My Father
Although my dad is no longer on this earth, I still like to think of ways to honor him. I'd like to share some of the wisdom he passed on that guides me throughout life, and that I'm passing on to my son.
Gray Hair, Don’t Care!
As much as I still loved my kinky hair, I was embarrassed. When other women would give me a compliment on a style, instead of saying thank you, I would say "but this gray, ugh" or "this gray is killing me" followed by a review of all the products I'd tried, as if I needed to prove to them I was trying to cover this unruly, unsightly mess.