Pebbles of positivity

People & Places

I’m sure we all have at some point in our lives come across a rock that, for whatever reason, catches our attention.

Maybe it’s just weirdly shaped, has an uncommon texture or looks like a particularly good skipping stone. Some that have stopped me in my tracks in more recent times are painted rocks with fun illustrations, designs or perhaps even a kind word or two.

These are particularly memorable when I come across them as they leave me feeling a bit happier after admiring them, even if it’s just in the slightest bit. It also gets me thinking as to who took some time out of their day to create this little slice of joy and leave it out in the world for others to stumble upon.

Unlike a lot of art, they are often left discreetly and anonymously with no telling who could have created it. Being left out in the elements, you know the creation will end up reverting back to looking like any other rock we normally would pay no mind to.

I know because I’ve painted a few myself to serve as little gravestones for fish I’ve lost. There are a couple under my mom’s rose bush. One is still intact, but the others are barren or close to it.

Given all that, what’s the point in doing it? In the case of my fish, it was a small way for me to acknowledge and remember them and the happiness they brought me. For ones left outdoors for others to stumble upon, I imagine it’s to spark a little happiness, or a positive thought or two.

Who knows? Maybe it will even get one thinking about what small act they can do to spread a bit of kindness.

I know they don’t have to be found out in the wild to have an effect though. Take my first day here at the News-Bulletin as an example. Settling into my work space, I found a few things left on my desk to get me started. There were some essentials like a calendar, cute notebook, etc. But there was also a small, purple-painted rock that says ‘be kind’ in white ink.

Like most people starting their first day at a new job, I was a bit nervous but this small gesture meant a lot and gave me a sense of positivity about this new adventure I was embarking on. To this day, it resides at my desk as a constant reminder to be a reflection of that same kindness shown to me.

Around the same time, my mom started getting into painting rocks and it’s become one of her favorite post-retirement hobbies. I’ve lost track of all the ones she’s made to date, especially because she ends up giving a lot of them away.

When I go to visit, she always has her supplies out on the table and usually a new creation to show me. It’s not uncommon for me to leave our visits with a new rock. To date, I have one with a chicken, cat, bird and, most recently, she gave my fiancé one with a stunning dragon eye.

I asked her recently why she enjoys painting rocks, specifically. She said, “Because it’s relaxing and is a small bite-sized project that I can finish in one sitting. I’m also using a free resource to paint on and am creating something that will not take up space in someone’s house because you can put them in a yard or by a plant.”

She’s quite the artist. When she posts pictures of them, people are always amazed.

If someone is particularly interested in one, she’ll oftentimes go out of her way to get it to them.

“I enjoy making them as much as I enjoy giving them away!” she said.

To see the joy instilled in herself and in others through her miniature masterpieces is such a special thing. The rocks definitely have a ripple effect to them; they serve as small, thoughtful reminders that someone cares.

Kindness is contagious after all, and the smallest gesture from a kind word to a cool looking rock can have more of an impact than you think.