Alberding 
Nicholas Alberding
Ms. Kelly
Moreau
3/4/22
Kindness always prevails
	I would first like to extend my gratitude to all of those who have attended today to honor the wonderful man we’ve all learned to love and appreciate, Nicholas Alberding. While the amount of people here is immense, it doesn’t accurately reflect the countless lives he has impacted over the course of his life.   
I don’t even know where to begin. I guess we can start with the type of person he was. Nick was the type of person who would ask you how your day was without even knowing you. You could have been on a flight, and he would spend the entire flight talking about your life story, making you feel a sense of importance. In return, nothing, just the understanding that someone else left the conversation happier than they entered because of him. This was his inspiration in life. He wanted to make an impact on the lives of others, no matter how many. That impact could come in all shapes in sizes, as long as it occurred. The other inspiration that was apparent but not quite as important was achieving self-fulfillment for both his own goals and those of his family (Inspirations of a life well lived QQC - Moreau FYE Week 2). What were his goals in life and how did he achieve them? He envisioned making a decent living in the world of business for the sole purpose of providing for his family and giving back to society. To some people, this would have been a similar goal at the start of their careers, but would soon vanish after they hit a wall, preventing them from achieving their goal. Nick never hit that wall. He was always advocating that in order to find the right job, it has to match your values, interests, personality, and skills (“Navigating Your Career Journey” by Meruelo Family Center for Career Development - Moreau FYE Week 4). He would convince us that the perfect job is out there for us, we just needed to find it. When I mentioned that Nick never hit that wall, it didn’t necessarily mean that he didn’t have any obstacles. There were times when he questioned where his life was going and if he liked the path he was on. He was always asking what if’s. I remember when he asked me what if I were to play a sport in college, I would always say that probably wouldn’t happen. As it ended up, I did. For him, it was always beneficial to ask these questions because it ultimately allowed him to take a step back and make sure he was living the life he wanted to (What Life am I Living - Moreau FYE Week 1). The alternative questions that he would avoid would be the “Why” questions. He thought it was important to use the past to reflect on his future decisions rather than having it weigh him down. Asking why something happened is the wrong way to go about moving forward in life (“The Right Way to be Introspective (Yes, there’s a wrong way)” - Moreau FYE Week 6). It takes a while to understand this, but having someone there to remind you of this was really special. Everyone needs someone at some point in time to put them on the right track.  
This leaves me with my next point, relationships. Nick’s relationships with everyone was unique in their own way. He thought that in order to live a life well lived, it was crucial that people eventually let down their barriers and take the time to form these relationships. He wasn’t saying that everyone you meet is someone you can share your biggest secrets with. Slowly but surely, barriers have to be lowered if there are any chances of having relationships ( “Why the only future worth building includes everyone” - Moreau FYE Week 7). When he was in any kind of relationship, he put the maximum amount of effort to strengthen that friendship. There were times when he would find people who wouldn’t put in the same amount of effort as he would, and those relationships eventually fell. But by the looks of how many people showed here today, most of his friendships lasted a long time. 
Next I would like to recognize his growth over the years. When we were young, Nick would argue about everything. If he didn’t believe it, it was wrong. He was so stubborn, and still is. As he got older, he worried less about everything being so concrete or absolute, and took involvement in self-reflection. I’m proud to say that he started to keep an open mind, which allowed him to hear other opinions (Discernment Conversation - Moreau FYE Week 5). He eventually became a good listener, to the point that all of us would go to him when we needed advice. Whenever I needed anything, he would drop everything to make time for me. If he missed your phone call, he would always call you back. Nick was always looking out for the best interests of others and always put them before his own.
Continuing on, what would Nick say if he were here in front of all of us right now? He would ask everyone one simple question; are you happy? He strongly believed that in order to live a successful life, you had to be happy. While other people can form the question differently, you are the only ones that will know whether or not you are happy, not just satisfied with your lives, but truly happy (“Three Questions” by Fr Michael Himes - Moreau FYE Week 3). He would continue by saying don’t just live to survive, live to live. Experience life to the fullest, and don’t let other people determine where your life should take you. Don’t be afraid to be your own person, and do what makes you happy. 
Finally, I would like to ask a question about what words come to mind when you think of him. How about passionate, smart, understanding, caring, and moral. However many adjectives could be used to describe him, the most important one was his kindness. In today's society it is hard to find someone who gives you the kindness you hoped to receive at the cost of nothing. It was through this kindness and the rest of his personality that allowed him to live a fruitful life filled with joy and happiness. As he always said, kindness always prevails.