Kim Pontius, Natalyn Chumley, & Nick Kizirnis

A Mother (Kim) and daughter (Natalyn) share their adoption story and discuss a few of the annoying questions that people ask adoptees. In 1979, Kim graduated from Iowa State with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. At age 40, she returned to school to get her master’s degree in human relations with an emphasis in counseling from the University of Oklahoma. As Kim comes to the end of her career as a licensed menthal health counselor and clinical director, mother and daughter talk about idea of finding new perspectives to help us overcome challenges, and even suffering, and live a happier and more fulfilling life.

"Nick Kizirnis, ""Brighten the Path"" Nick chose “Brighten the Path” from his Quiet Signals album for Kim Pontius. Although it’s an instrumental, the song was based on the idea of personal rebirth, that it’s possible at any point in life, young or old, to find a new perspective to help us overcome challenges and even suffering, and live a happier and more fulfilling life.

The song relies on a simple repeated pattern through the verses and choruses, like a pulse, and throughout the intensity builds and builds, finally breaking free of the pattern at the outro, when new guitar and cello parts come in are every measure until the comes to a conclusion."