WHY I GIVE THANKS: Home again to a loving and caring community

By: 
Glenda Butterfield-Boldig

I am truly thankful for so many things in my life that I cannot possibly list them all in such a short essay, but I’ve included those things that are most important and influential in my life. Thank you for allowing me to share them with you.

I am thankful for a loving and supportive family …

My three siblings and I were raised by two hard-working parents. We certainly didn’t have everything we wanted, but we definitely had everything we needed. Mostly, we had parents who instilled in us a strong work ethic, a belief that every person deserves dignity and respect, and that if someone was in need and we could help, then we should.

I am thankful for all the ways life doesn’t go as planned …

Twenty-four years ago, I came to the wonderful community of Bowler as a new teacher. I moved here because I had met someone in college from the area. Within a couple of years, our relationship had ended. But then I was introduced to the man who would become my husband.

I am thankful that I cannot predict the future …

Dave Boldig is a Bowler boy through and through. His roots run deep in Bowler and when we were married in 2003, I knew my roots were forever connected here, too. Over the years, I taught in other districts, worked for CESA 8 and then was hired as the principal in White Lake in 2012. Dave retired in May 2017, and we moved from Bowler to Mountain. We enjoyed UTVing, fishing, vacationing, bonfires and cookouts with friends and family. We were looking forward to “post-COVID” so we could really start enjoying life again. Then on New Year’s Eve 2020, Dave started complaining of stomach pains. I lost him 13 days later to pancreatic cancer.

I am thankful that I get to do something I love every day …

I believe that education is a calling, and I was called to serve students and families in this profession. I get the opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of others every day and I can’t imagine a more fulfilling role.

I am thankful for my caring and loving friends …

Through all the happiest events and deepest grief, I have been blessed to have friends to share those moments with me. I have friends I’ve known since kindergarten, those with whom I’ve worked, and friends who entered my life through others. I love you all.

I am thankful that God has always provided for me …

After my husband died, I had no reason to expect all of the things that followed to go smoothly: selling the house, changing jobs, moving. But I felt protected and provided for at every challenge. I can only attribute that to God’s influence in my life and in the lives of others who stepped up to support me through the difficult times.

I am thankful for renewing old friendships …

I have now returned to the Bowler community, where I belong. Upon my return I realized that although I had left the community for a few years, it had never left me. I was welcomed back as the new superintendent at Bowler School and, more importantly, embraced by the community as a family member returning home. I am also deeply thankful that I reconnected with an exceptional man whom I have known for years. Joe has been my guiding light, leading me back from the darkness of grief. Because of his kindness and compassion, I am able to smile, laugh and love once again.


Glenda Butterfield-Boldig is superintendent of the Bowler School District.

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