This story begins much like those we have heard many times before ? a young girl growing up poor in a small rural town in central Mississippi ? all Cindy ever wanted was to be safe and to fit in. But having been born in Mississippi during one of the most controversial periods in Mississippi history ? the ?60s was anything but safe and nurturing. ?Do as I say, not as I do,? and ?Children should be seen and not heard,? had become the mantras of the previous generation. She stumbled through life wearing a blindfold; a silent witness to and victim of discrimination, prejudice and poverty until she grew to believe she was the problem! Delivered with honesty and humor, her first book, TALES FROM A BOILING POT, is a memoir about the joys as well as the drama of growing up in family straight from the pages of Southern Living where life lessons were served with a spoon of sugar and love came in all sizes, shapes and colors. Retracing the events of her life was the essence of going home. The book serves as a reminder of the power of compassion and love; and for all things, there is a time to heal.?Our lives can change just in the telling, and our memories can become our salvation rather than our regret.?
Cindy was born in a small town nestled in the red clay hills of Winston County, Mississippi. Having received her
degree in education from the University of Southern Mississippi, she began her career teaching in south Mississippi, but later
went on to become an organization and leadership development consultant with clients around the world.After the sudden death of her husband Bill, who had been her best friend, her business partner, and her guiding light for 24 years,
she discovered writing as a way to heal. It was through the process of journaling and a Tom Bird retreat in Sedona, Arizona that reawakened her love of the written word. What she thought would be a quick writing workshop turned out to be the vehicle for gaining insight into her soul. It was there that
she came to clearly understand her purpose - a journey of life, lessons and love."Our greatest lessons are the ones we receive when we least expect it."
With her life experiences in the South and
her triumph over adversity and loss as inspiration for her book of short stories,
TALES FROM A BOILING POT, she continues to cultivate a life filled with family, friends and love.
She is currently working on two novels whose stories and characters are inspired by her Southern heritage.
Bill, having been born in upstate New York, often asked, "Why do you still refer to Mississippi as home, when you haven't lived there for 35 years?" Unless you've been born and raised in the South, it's hard to explain. "I know it in my heart. My roots are there - I'm a Perennial Southerner."
Cindy who currently lives in Maryland, loves to knit, cook, travel, write, and as a doting grandmother, spends as much time as possible with her five grandchildren.
