A Young Man Greatly Loved By All, and Gone Too Soon: . . . . . . . – My Friend +Nicholas Roger Hickman (d. 01/25/24)

 

+Nicholas Roger Hickman (12/03/96-01/25/24)

This heart wrenching photo is of a young man whose name was +Nicholas Roger Hickman. He recently died very suddenly, and under tragic circumstances (at the age of 27). 

 

I met +Nick in May of 2020 when I was the Pastor of St. Michael the Archangel, Overlea, Baltimore, Maryland.  He came to our door looking for help and guidance.  At the time, it was at the height of the COVID-19 lock-down.  It didn't take long for me and the other friars of our friary to "take him under our wings."  I believe we all did so with great compassion, affection, and care!

The image of +Nick above now rips apart my heart. His sudden passing early in the morning of Thursday, January 25, 2024 caused tremendous grief and sadness for all those who knew and who had great affection for him, including me! To be sure, +Nick left behind many, many people who loved him dearly! 

By chance (and for reasons that are only clearer to me now in my grief), some time ago I snapped a screenshot of +Nick late one night while we were video chatting.  That night, he was struggling with many of (I'm sad to report) his usual demons, and as he shed lots of tears, he once again poured out his heart to me.

+Nick was full of anguish and pain for many reasons (many of which those who knew him were well aware).  I believe this is why he so often turned to fleeting pleasures to ease his inner pain.

+Nick so enthusiastically showered others in so many ways with his incredibly loving heart and spirit. And I, and countless others, received that love in wonderful and lasting ways.  

Sadly, it seems +Nick was never able to turn that love inward towards himself, and that led him to make some choices that were simply very destructive and hurtful to himself and to the very people he loved the most (and I’d like to include myself in that—I was a true recipient of his great ability to love others, a love he so energetically and unconditionally gave to everyone!). 

 

Now that he’s gone, I think those who loved +Nick might find some comfort in the reality that he’s no longer in pain, no longer shedding tears, no longer hurting himself and those of us who loved him so very much.  

For our peace of mind, we need to let go, forgive him of any failings, and entrust him to God, who now and forever will hold +Nick tight in his everlasting, peaceful, and loving embrace.  That's now how we must, and the only way we can, continue in our great love for +Nick.

Let us be at peace, and worry not about this or that, the "what ifs," the "should have dones," and/or for that matter, ever doubt how much he loved us. 

We know +Nick often used the expression "I love you with all my heart!"  

And now, although our hearts are broken and filled with grief, we can take comfort in knowing that +Nick’s love for us will forever be eternal, pure, and without end!  

I take comfort, and find some consolation in this.  

Rest in peace my dear friend!

You will be terribly missed for sure.  💔

With unceasing love for you +Nick!

Adios Amigo!

Your faithful friend, and as you would often say, "'dawgs' to infinity and back!"

Much love, Timothy

 

I Dedicate the Words to this Song to +Nick:

I Still Can See Your Face

By Barbra Streisand--with words slightly adapted

At least one moment everyday
I hear the echo of your voice
And though it's only in my mind
It stays with me, I have no choice

I reach for you as if you're here
Your tender touch, your warm embrace
And though my heart is filled with grief
I still can see your face

We're all just prisoners of time
The days go rushing by
With memories we've locked away
There may not been much I regret
But there were things we couldn't say

Maybe the ending came too soon
You are the one I can't replace
And though my heart is filled with grief
I still can see your face

Somehow we knew another love would find us
We'd carry on, leave yesterday behind us
Sometimes I find, the quiet nights
I close my eyes and realize
I've never loved you more

And if by chance we meet again
A sudden crazy twist of fate
A place where we have never been
And with the hour getting late
You run into to my arms and heart
Like all the grief has been erased

In every shadow of my thoughts
I still can see your face

In every shadow of my thoughts
I still can see your face
I still can see your face
I still can see your face

[Words changed above:  "And though it's been so many years" changed to "And though my heart is filled with grief;" "I've never loved too far" changed to "I've never loved you more;" "A street where we have never been" changed to "A place where we have never been," "In every shadow of the past" changed to "In every shadow of my thoughts."]

Find this song on YouTube at the following in link: I Still Can See Your Face

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w3cDrVainI

 

** The photos above were taken: (1) during a video chat in Baltimore, Maryland on October 27, 2022; (2, 3, and 4) on November 6, 2022 at High Rock Overlook, Smithburg, Maryland; (5) on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2023 on White Avenue in Baltimore, Maryland, (6) on May 12, 2021 in the front parlor of St. Michael the Archangel Rectory, Overlea, Baltimore, Maryland, and (7) with Jesus now!  And (8) the funeral memorial card.