Do Good December

A Story about Mr. Nick

Every single day

Author’s note: this story was originally written and published 15 years ago in the Flower Mound Leader. I offer it to you now in honor of Nick Nichols and in reverence of a kinder, gentler life perspective. Take it to heart as there are many lessons and reminders, we can all use in our lives.

The sun is barely peeking through the clouds on an early morning and the trashcans in the Lake Forrest neighborhood are already pulled up neatly next to each house, the mailboxes linger with the sweet scent of peppermint, and many residents sort through their mail to find a nice inspirational note including a piece of personal news about their alma matter, work industry, or personal hobby. 

How does this all happen you might ask? Does some fairy, or elf magically zip around this Flower Mound neighborhood and spread good cheer? Not exactly, this person is more like an angel. He is Nick Nichols, a.k.a. “Mr. Nick”, long time neighbor and friend to many Flower Mound residents.  

You may have noticed Mr. Nick strolling the streets of the Lake Forrest neighborhood, greeting everyone in his path. Once you meet him, you won’t forget him, and you can be certain that he will never ever forget you.  There is something about this man; a rare and genuine love for everyone he meets that warms the heart and lifts your spirits.

Mr. Nick makes a special effort to acquaint himself with everyone he meets. In fact, he’s never met a stranger. He lives with his daughter, Lisa, who commented, “My father gets to know people on a deeper level by asking them questions about where they are from, what school they went to, what their favorite hobbies are, etc. But what makes him special is the way he remembers every detail about everyone.” Using that knowledge, Mr. Nick will constantly be thinking about you as he scours the newspapers for the latest news on your college ball team, an obscure personal interest, or even your home country.

Many people credit Mr. Nick with providing a special mentorship to them in their lives and careers. In fact, you will often find Nick down at the local copy center duplicating inspirational stories, the latest business trends, and heartwarming quotes to share with his neighborhood friends.  Neighborhood residents can always count on each note being accompanied by a few of his signature peppermint candies. 

Mr. Nick celebrated his 80th birthday on Friday, August 1, as some 40 neighbors and friends gathered to wish this wonderful and kind man a Happy Birthday.  As he entered the room to a chorus of “SURPRISE” and saw the smiles on the faces, something rare and unusual occurred; Mr. Nick was at a loss for words. Blinking back his tears and looking from one adoring person to the next, he finally broke the silence and proclaimed that he was finding it difficult to speak with the lump in his throat. Instead, he started with the crowd of children and gave each of them a warm hug to express his appreciation.

The joy of this special day though, was bittersweet; for everyone knew that a short two weeks from this day, Mr. Nick would be saying goodbye to his long-time friends. He and his daughter have a wonderful opportunity to move to the Seattle area. The Lake Forrest neighborhood will certainly be changed without ‘ol Mr. Nick. His gentle smile and warm heart will truly be missed by those he has touched in this community.

As the crowd finished the cake and ice cream, they all gathered around this man they have grown to love so much to listen to what he had to say. His message was short but, as usual, inspirational. “I love each and every one of you and I am going to miss you with all my heart,” he said.

“I only ask that you do one thing for me; always remember to be nice.” As the tears welled in everyone’s eyes, nobody said a word, for the lump was now in their throats. And in their minds and with their hearts they all seemed to proclaim, “we will be nice, Mr. Nick, and we can because you taught us how.”  

Fast forward, it’s morning time and you can see the silhouette of an older gentleman stuffing the neighborhood mailboxes full of notes and candy.  It’s going to be a great day in Seattle!

Carrie Reed is personal development and leadership coach who facilitates workshops, retreats and strategic sessions designed to help individuals and teams discover, design and achieve their best in life (personally and professionally). She owns McHale Group, LLC an international consulting firm and is the founder of Women’s Wizdom site – a one-stop-shop for women to develop and explore their life’s possibilities in connection with other women. She is also founder of the Williamson County chapter of 100 Women Who Care – a philanthropy dedicated to providing service and funds to support local 501c3 organizationss. She is the proud mama to two young boys with her husband and enjoys spending time exploring all the fun adventures this world has to offer.