I say to myself that I shall try to make my life like an open fireplace, so that people may be warmed and cheered by it and so go out themselves to warm and cheer. (George Matthew Adams)

The cheerful spirit pictured above on the left is Cindy Boise. With her is her beautiful and outgoing daughter, Audrey, one of Cindy and Tod Boise’s four children. I met Cindy when she was assistant to the principal at Guerin Catholic. In that role she loved joking and laughing alongside the people with whom she came into contact, and in return, we’d seek her out! I definitely got the better end of that bargain!

Cindy is a people person as well as a phenomenally supportive mom to her (nearly?) grown children. Or as my mom says it, “They may be juvenile, but they can all be tried as adults now.” HA? The joyfulness she exudes is contagious, and therefore when I would speak with her during her GCHS days, I would catch it too. There’s nothing fake about Cindy, and she doesn’t try to be perfect. What she does do is share with the world the best version of Cindy Boise, and I just adore that quality! She’s authentic and very funny. She seems to inherently understand that gratefulness and faith are the places to focus each day.

I am fairly certain that Cindy is now working for Merchant’s Bank. I could be wrong about that, because I lost track of her when our kids, my Drew and her Audrey, graduated together from high school in 2018. What I haven’t forgotten though is that gorgeous smile or how much she always inspired me to stay happy and think positive.

Thank you, Cindy, for helping me to remember not to let negativity or a little chaos get me down. It was an important lesson that you probably didn’t even know you were helping me learn at the time. Your enthusiasm for life and your joyful heart are blessings to all who know you. I am WAY OVERDUE to thank you for sharing your genuine positivity and warmth during every interaction! I am working hard to follow your lead, and to pay forward what I learned from you…and I am grateful to know you!