Thursday's Distraction

Yesterday I listened to the words of composer John Zorn

Said at the age of 60 his life was a vacation not a thorn

Scores music when he hears an angel’s voice

It’s in his DNA he has no choice

But to deliver the message God delivers

Surrounds himself with friends who are doers and givers

Lives in an apartment on the City’s West side

Has several boxes with his clothes inside

Sleeps on a futon in a room of books

Childhood desk and chair while his music cooks

Everything has its place, every note has its sound

He collects them, assembles them, and plays them in town

His heart is at peace because he loves what he does

Living simply, predictably, with a famously eclectic buzz

Director of Sales and Marketing

        CAIRS Solutions

         317.652.7696 – cell

Song for the Day

Paul Simon – Call Me Al – listen to it here

Read his lyrics here

A man walks down the street

He says why am I soft in the middle now

Why am I soft in the middle

The rest of my life is so hard

I need a photo-opportunity

I want a shot at redemption

Don't want to end up a cartoon

In a cartoon graveyard

Bonedigger Bonedigger

Dogs in the moonlight

Far away my well-lit door

Mr. Beerbelly Beerbelly

Get these mutts away from me

You know I don't find this stuff amusing anymore

If you'll be my bodyguard

I can be your long lost pal

I can call you Betty

And Betty when you call me

You can call me Al

A man walks down the street

He says why am I short of attention

Got a short little span of attention

And wo my nights are so long

Where's my wife and family

What if I die here

Who'll be my role-model

Now that my role-model is

Gone Gone

He ducked back down the alley

With some roly-poly little bat-faced girl

All along along

There were incidents and accidents

There were hints and allegations

If you'll be my bodyguard

I can be your long lost pal

I can call you Betty

And Betty when you call me

You can call me Al

Call me Al

A man walks down the street

It's a street in a strange world

Maybe it's the Third World

Maybe it's his first time around

He doesn't speak the language

He holds no currency

He is a foreign man

He is surrounded by the sound

The sound

Cattle in the marketplace

Scatterlings and orphanages

He looks around, around

He sees angels in the architecture

Spinning in infinity

He says Amen! and Hallelujah!

If you'll be my bodyguard

I can be your long lost pal

I can call you Betty

And Betty when you call me

You can call me Al

Call me Al

Standing Out

I honestly teared up reading This Article by: Jay Forte
I finished reading it and took this beautiful, authentic, justified breath of fresh air. 
New air! 
You see, I live in a community, where nearly every one does look the same or in a certain way thinks the same. And I don't want to pull the negative from that. 
However, I don't fit that mold. So, when I finished reading, Live Boldly: How to Find the Courage to “Stand Out” I wanted to throw my hands in the air and scream Amen Sister! I felt this reassurance that, I'm being true to who I am and that's a good thing!

Have you ever sat and thought about this: Why, as society, do we see someone with 'different' hair color or style and automatically think that person is looking for attention? Or that person is a misfit. Or that person is just weird.
Have you ever thought: Shouldn't fitting in or following the crowd be more detrimental to who we really are? What if my perfectly polished shoes, my suit and tie, my designer threads are really what is weird?
Did you ever hear your Mom speak these words:  "If your friends jump off a cliff will you too?"
I have! My mom would say this to teach me that just because the crowd is doing it, doesn't mean it's right.
You know what mom. You were right. (I know, I can't believe I said that out loud) LOL!

        I don't have to fit in with the crowd to be comfortable with who I am. 

                                            And neither do any of you.

"Someone greater than you thought you should be you!"

-Jay Forte

Have you seen this picture circulating around Pinterest?  I love the message it sends. 

Live a life of standing out. 
You weren't born to be like everyone else. 
You were born to be YOU.

Challenge yourself HERE & NOW  
To hold back on the quickness to criticize the person who looks different, thinks different or isn't fitting 'your' mold. 
Stop the judgement and applaud the courage. 
  
Then allow yourself to do this...

If we could do this... the world would start to become as I believe God intended it to be. Full of color, uniqueness, imperfect, beautiful people who accept, love, embrace and courageously live life as themselves without question.
 
So, the next time I feel different from the crowd and insecure... I'm going to take that breath of new air and applaud myself for being me. Imperfect, flawed, nerdy ME.

Featured Members ~

Kim & Teresa

To view their Parentfinder profile click here.

Do you want to become a Featured Member... click here for more information.

Welcome Featured Members ~

 Jon and Christina

To view their Parentfinder Profile click here.

 Do you want to become a featured family.....click here for more information.

Celebrate!

www.parentfinder.com

Imagine...

Imagine… you are 19 years old, single, living away from home for the first time and you find yourself staring at a positive pregnancy test. What would your first thoughts be? Who would you turn to? Would you know your options?

This was me and at that time I had no idea what adoption was. I never knew anyone who was adopted or anyone who was open to talking about it. My parents had taught me adoption over abortion, but I truly didn't know what that meant. I was terrified, uneducated and feeling very alone. 

My first thoughts about adoption was, 'what if I see my baby and can't let her/him go?'

I turned to my family and friends for guidance and support, none of which had any experience with adoption.

I met with a local agency and became more educated on my options, enough so to help me make my decision to place my baby for adoption. However, I wish I would have had the social media connection to thousands of hopeful adoptive couples, birth moms who had been through this experience before and people who had been in the adoption world for years. 

I was an expectant parent who truly didn't know what to expect next. Each day was a new learning experience and even the social worker who was assigned to me had never actually been through a placement before mine. I didn't even know if the emotions I was going through were normal for a birth mom, but I had nothing to rely on but what I had been taught by the agency I was placing with. 

Imagine… expectant parents and hopeful adoptive couples who know all of their options, have experienced people to help them  and a web site to connect them both. That is what I believe Parentfinder is. Connecting expectant parents with hopeful adoptive couples and helping the two become more educated in the process of adoption. 

Go here to read more about Parentfinder.

Hello!

My name is Gina Crotts. I am thrilled to be the new face and voice of Parentfinder. I look forward to getting to know each of you and helping you utilize Parentfinder in a successful way. I have been working in the adoption industry for 12 years, with experience in Sales/Marketing, Art Consulting, Design, Public Speaking, Creative Writing and Social Media.

I placed my baby girl for adoption in the Fall of 2000. In 2001, I started a non-profit organization called Birth Mother Baskets. (www.birthmotherbaskets.blogspot.com)

My passion to serve other birth moms and adoptive couples is the driving force behind Birth Mother Baskets and I am excited to implement that passion towards working with Parentfinder.

I have been married for 12 years to my very best friend, a mother to three crazy monkeys and an artist at heart. When I’m not at work, you will find me at the ballpark watching my son play baseball or at a dance competition watching my daughter perform. I am obsessed with old scwhinn bicycles, fashion and adoption!

Please feel free to contact me at gina.crotts@cairsolutions.com