Back in May, I wrote a Buzzfeed article titled "Why #SingForNicole Must Happen" It was received so warmly by so many people, in fact, in just over 2 days, more than 20,000 people read the article, many of these same people shared that same article, and even news stations wrote stories stemming from that same article.
But I am here to say it wasn't anything about the words I said, or anything even her family said in the days following that made this social media campaign happen. The reason this article took off and turned into a nationwide trending hashtag was all Nicole Wilson.
Nicole's personality, her larger-than-life smile, her caring heart, and her desire to make the world around her and the people around her smile a little more every day resonated in the tweets, the shares, the mentions, and the plea to take something that Nicole loved and let it emulate a small part of the spirit she carried with her everyday.
Nicole was one of the most incredible young people I have ever met. As I am sure you all have heard, she had the most beautiful smile and the biggest heart out of anyone I have ever met. Nicole was one of the most optimistic people I have ever met and she was always happy, even when things weren't going her way, Nicole was smiling.
I know that there are plenty of people out there who have already tweeted out #SingForNicole 100 times. All I can say to that is thank you. Even if you tweeted it once, I want to say thank you for helping carry on the legacy of one of the most tenacious people I have ever met. See, I had the pleasure of knowing Nicole and watching her grow up for 9 years. Every year she grew taller, her smile also grew bigger and bigger.
Liam heard about #SingForNicole and responded with this message:
More than 18,000 people tweeted helping #SingForNicole reach all the way to the #1 trending topic in the US
Nicole is doing the same thing now that she did in life: she's taking something that looks so terrible and turning it into something amazing and something that people can rally around. There's a reason hundreds of people showed up to a candle vigil for Nicole a day after her death and even more showed up a few days later. Nicole was loved, Nicole was inspiring, Nicole was full of joy, and Nicole was a genuinely beautiful human being on the inside and out.
Because of the person Nicole was, we cannot let this movement slip away. Yes, the main goal of this original movement is to have One Direction dedicate their song "Story of My Life" (Nicole's favorite 1D song) to her at their Aug. 24 concert in Dallas, but this movement has turned into so much more than that. Let me remind you that the concert hasn't even happened yet and even though they have noticed, we still need to tweet #SingForNicole at One Direction and get them back onboard and remind them of the incredible girl Nicole was and still is.
But even beyond this concert it is much more important that we realize the ultimate goal of Nicole's family as they progress throughout this movement. They want to bring awareness to the dangers of Type 1 Diabetes and that even when it is controlled, as it was in Nicole's life, it can still be fatal. Because of that, look out for the organization they are launching called SingForNicole that will be used to help bring awareness to T1D and funding to help research a cure.
And even beyond all of this funding, I think a major component of this campaign is to remember, respect, reflect on, and live out the fundamental truths that Nicole believed in and demonstrated in her daily life. So let's help carry on Nicole's vivacious spirit by truly caring for others, respecting others and ourselves, always being there when people need you, living for something bigger than yourself, and most importantly and most noticeable in Nicole's life: Always Keep Smiling.
Share This Article
