About Me — Jenn Norton
Living Life As An Eternal Optimist
I’m just here living my life being overly helpful and stepping on toes but it is part of my quirkiness. I think I can relate most to the bubbly golden retriever who wants to be everyone’s friend and will get all up in your business to be helpful. I will also admit to spilling my eternal optimism all over people in hopes of getting a smile or a laugh. Maybe the positivity comes from the constant sunshine that Southern California is known for and it seeped into my veins while growing up here or maybe it is just that my soul aches for people who are sad and need a little extra boost. Either way, I’m here your daily dose of happiness.
I had a fairly quiet upbringing. Following rules was my expertise so I didn’t often get in trouble. The times I was in trouble, I made every effort to pass the blame to my brother. He’s the best and took that like a champ and thankfully, doesn’t hold my little sister brattiness against me. I was introduced to the world of Non-profits in college and graduated from Chapman University with a degree in Communications. Somehow, I ended up in Homeowner’s Association Management for 11 years and not in my beloved world of helping others. I adored the people I worked with but I was not my usually sunshiney self when being yelled at by homeowners on the daily. It did help me grow thicker skin but I had this feeling that there was something more to my story.
I had this unexplainable pull to go to Seminary which lead me to a 4-year journey resulting in a Master’s Degree in Theological Essentials. I am such a nerd and I loved every moment of learning and growing. My faith is my anchor in all things and I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for my love of Jesus. I am a Pastor at a local church and am part of the mission team that focuses on helping those in need much to the delight of my soul. It fills and breaks my heart all at the same time and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Each day is filled with watching humanity at its lowest but also watching others give and love so selflessly. I have learned so much by watching my volunteers pour everything into making sure that their neighbors and those in troubled spaces feel loved and seen. I beam with pride when I am with them.
My husband of 20 years is my favorite human. He makes me laugh and forgives me quickly for being an over-helper. It’s good for a course correction to have someone who will speak the truth in love to you. We laugh at the same dumb things and I can just be me. I pray everyone finds their person.
My two daughters are my everything. They both have unique stories that I am looking forward to sharing with everyone, within reason. Both are adopted and have different backgrounds but were meant to be sisters somehow in this crazy world. I will admit that raising two teenage girls is not for the faint of heart. Every day is filled with laughter, sass, sunshine, love, more sass and a whole lot of patience. There are so many layers of parenting and I would love to share some of what we have been through, especially for those considering adoption or are struggling with infertility. God doesn’t waste a hurt and helping others that are in this storm is something I am very passionate about.
My story has had it’s up and downs but it has shaped me into who I am. Years of infertility, foster parenting, failed adoptions and hosting orphans have made me view the world through a different lens. Though I may have struggled, there are others that can learn from how our family handled the situation. I am not tooting my own horn, but having lived life, I know I have stories that will offer hope and light to those who might need it. My goal for Medium and my Blog is to highlight faith stories and stories of people overcoming obstacles that seemed unsurmountable. People are resilient and I can’t wait to show them the strength they have inside.
I have some amazing friends in my life who accept me for being me. I love being around them but they know that I have to be home by 9pm or I will fall asleep in their midst. I am quick to say something funny but have to reign it in at times so they don’t kick me out of the car. I know they wouldn’t actually do that because I can’t see well in the dark. They are my tribe and we can laugh, cry and do life together with our families. I haven’t experienced a friendship like theirs before, especially as they walked through some heavy times with us.
I am an avid learner and continue to seek out input so I can keep growing personally, professionally and spiritually. I will never be done learning. I have always had this pull in my heart to delve into writing. It is the one thing that I will admit that I am good at. Again, not tooting my own horn, but I know it is a gift that was given to me. Almost daily I would tell my husband or friends that I love to write and that is followed by them questioning why I am not writing. I have decided to ignore that inner critic and do what I love and just put those words out into the world. I have hope to give, love to offer and a few smiles to paint on the face of others.
Thank you for learning more about me. I promise to be honest and open with my writing and share what I know. Some of the stories might bring some tears but I promise you will be smiling at the end. I love to show others the bright side of the situations I have been in in hopes that it will give them the boost they need. This world is pretty darn amazing and I can’t wait to let you into my ray of the sunshine.
