A funny thing happened on my way to the rock – the Kindness Rock that is. Last week, while digging deeper into the story of The Kindness Rock Project, I received a random gift of kindness. Was that a fluke or did it come to me because of my focused attention?
Here’s the scoop: I had spent time in the morning learning more about how The Kindness Rock Project began. I read information online and watched a Today Show interview with the founder, Megan Murphy. I was amazed to find that kindness rocks have multiplied around the world and that the messages individuals find have had such a positive impact on them.
According to Murphy, she was searching for a new purpose in life after closing her business in Cape Cod. One day, before heading out on her walk on the shoreline near her Massachusetts home, she stashed a Magic Marker in her pocket. And when she found a few rocks that spoke to her, she jotted down some positive messages on the rocks and placed them along her mile-long path. Later, one of her friends called her and asked whether she had written the message on a rock the friend had found. Murphy, feeling somewhat sheepish, responded with a sound “no.” But then she asked her friend to tell her about more about the message on the rock and what it had meant to her.
Murphy decided to continue gathering rocks and writing messages on them during her daily walks. And shortly thereafter, at her daughter’s suggestion that she take some photos and put a hashtag on it, The Kindness Rock Project was birthed on social media. Today people all over the world are involved in painting and gifting positive messages on rocks.
Now back to my story – I decided to take a break from collecting information and mow the front lawn using the push mower in the heat of the afternoon. While I was mowing, I couldn’t stop thinking about how The Kindness Rock Project, a very simple idea, has resulted in an incredible movement. And I determined I would gather up some art supplies, paint a few rocks with positive messages and put them near walking trails in the Mad River Valley.
Right then I looked up and found a young man dressed in a white T-shirt and shorts standing in my driveway waving at me. I stopped the mower and walked over to find out what he wanted. He said, “Would you like me to finish mowing your yard?” I was completely taken aback. Was he job-shopping? I said I was all set but then I decided to get his contact information for possible future help. So, I showed him the property and asked what he would charge for mowing. He said, “Oh, I don’t want any money. I’d just like to help.” While I didn’t take him up on his offer, I couldn’t stop thinking about this random act of kindness. What made him stop? Was it really random or in some mysterious way was it related to all I had been discovering?
We look forward to seeing the kindness rocks you create and share this week. I purchased some acrylic paints, acrylic markers and decoupage paste and collected a few rocks down by the river. Here is a photo of a kindness rock Gillian received a few weeks ago from the Addison Northwest VEHI PATH Champion, Lynne Rapoport, as a thank you. Rock on!
“You have no idea what your legacy will be. Your legacy is what you do every day. Your legacy is every life you’ve touched, every person whose life was either moved or not. It’s every person you’ve harmed or helped. That’s your legacy.” Maya Angelou-poet and writer
See you on the PATH Ahead,
Shevonne, Gillian, Amy and Ashley from the VEHI PATH team