Messy and Not Perfect

Yesterday, as I was waiting on an oil change for my car I felt inspired to put down some thoughts for our adoption profile.  Just thoughts, nothing cohesive that we can use yet.  The pressure of appearing "perfect" has been rolling around in my head, raising my shoulders to my ears in stress, and making me irritable.   I read about this idea in one of our required reading books for the homestudy.  Prospecitve adoptive parents are under so much pressure to prove that they will be "SUPER PARENTS" complete with a flowing cape (even when there is no wind).  No spit up is too gross, no temper tantrum too loud, we can handle it all, flawlessly.  Wow, talk about pressure! 

But, you know what?  Things get messy.  Maybe our house isn't spotless... we do live there, with two giant monsters (aka Riggs & Gunner) 

Side note: our kiddo won't be scared of monsters because he'll always think of them as big furry pups with wagging tails!   See, not perfect - my thought train is all over the place. 



 It's OK to mess up -- how else do you learn.  It's certainly OK to not be perfect.  Perfect is annoying and boring.  All good movies follow a hero or heroine who has a problem.  Something bad happens and you really pull for that person to overcome.  It makes the story great. 

John and I are far from perfect.  I've cooked the Thanksgiving turkey with the bag of parts still inside the bird; we've called the butterball hotline for help!  John once made a beautiful rustic shelf..but it was too heavy to pick up, let alone hang on a wall.  Both are funny memories.  In John's wedding ring, I had "remember the time when we...." engraved.  That's how we roll, always doing something, always trying, and all the while cherishing the stories we write together.  Life is messy, and that's OK.  I figure if we were perfect, it means we aren't trying to do anything new or outside our comfort zone.  Snoooze fest!

Adoption is way outside our comfort level; after all the "perfect" family is Mom + Dad + 2.5 kids.  Adotpion is adding more people to the equation - a social worker, a birth mom, and lots of supporters (since we've put ourselves out there).  It's bound to be messy, but also adds a fantastic dimension to our story.  The more quirky characters the better.  We don't know how this is going to turn out, but we are going to enjoy the experience. 

Craig Morgan sang:  "You might have a few less scars, but I'll have better stories"  Great song...! 

Stella & Dot? Why on Earth… ? There’s a REALLY good reason…

Never would I have imagined I’d sign up to sell anything, let alone be a stylist of any kind.  Here I am, a brand new Stella & Dot Stylist!  First, I like jewelry and Stella & Dot has a lot of very cute items!  Celebs have been wearing some of the pieces but it’s also very affordable too.  There is the solid empowering feeling that comes along with something like this– meeting new people and feeling the enthusiasm the Stella & Dot network has.    

Secondly, and most important, is my motivation for earning some extra income – my husband and I are pursuing adoption!!  The road to building a family is not for the faint of heart for unlucky infertile couples.  We’ve been poked and prodded and more people have seen my ‘pieces’ than have been blocked by Dikembe Mutombo!!  (a nod to that Geico commercial that cracks me up every.single.time.).  After several heartbreaking losses we’ve determined that our family will be built through adoption.    Everything has its way of working out – John and I are closer than ever, walking this road has sure made us a team.  However, this team needs some serious sponsorship!  

Adoption, when going through an agency, is a very expensive endeavor.  It will all be worth it in the end, when we bring home our bundle of joy.  If I need to throw some parties and put pretty women in some pretty necklaces… I’m willing to do it! 

 

A very good friend introduced me to Stella & Dot as a fun opportunity to fill a need… if you are interested in hosting a party or maybe even becoming a stylist yourself, I’m all ears and willing to help you do this too!

Visit my Stella & Dot page