Adopt a positive view of adoption

By FIONA SOLTES (Reprinted from The Tennessean)

Lisa Silver believes in happy endings -- especially for adoptive families.

While several national stories have brought the trials of adoption to the forefront in recent weeks, Silver has been putting out a different message altogether: that adoption can be a positive experience for everyone involved.

The Nashville singer/songwriter/musician has been promoting her album, My Forever Family, which teaches kids and adults alike about the adoption experience. The album was co-produced and co-written with Nashvillian Wendy Spira.

"We wanted to show that there are some happy endings out there," Silver said. "There's a need for good resource materials."

And it's a resource for both children and adults, she said. The first side, for kids, is a sing-along compilation that "builds self-esteem more than anything else," Silver said. Mommy Tell Me discusses adoption in terms kids can understand, and Different Shapes and Sizes and Two Countries talk about the joy of differences among us.

"I think it's a great way to get families talking about adoption in a fun and light-hearted way," Silver said. Her own adopted daughter Olivia knows all the words to Mommy Tell Me, she said.

The second side, aimed at prospective and current adoptive parents, is a musical journal about going through the process, complete with a song called Red Tape, Silver said. That song, one of the first she wrote, mirrored her experiences in bringing baby Olivia home from Bolivia.

Other songs include Is My Baby Out There Somewhere, My Baby's Coming Home and A Gift From You, a message to the birth mothers.

Silver, a Grammy-nominated songwriter, has written for the likes of Reba McEntire, Alabama and Kathy Mattea and has earned over 15 gold and platinum records for background vocals both on country and pop hits. Her friend Wendy Spira is the adoptive mother of Lia, born in India.