"Love Rocks" When You Need It

Sometimes, at just the right time, the unexpected happens.  A friend you haven't heard from in a while sends you a virtual hug.  You read a story that touches your heart.  Or you find a love rock.

What, you ask, is a "love rock"?  Briefly, love rocks are a beautiful gift born from a terrible tragedy.  In October of 2013, two young girls, Abby and Anna, were hit by a car while playing in front of their house, and died that evening.  Despite pain that few of us can imagine, parents Tom and Susan decided to honor their beautiful girls by creating a legacy of love and joy through these simple rocks. If you want, you can read the full story here or visit the Facebook page here. 

Susan created the Facebook page to tell the story of Abby and Anna, and included a tutorial on how to make the rocks.  Her hope was that a few people might share the idea and leave them for others to find.  What happened next was amazing - in just a few years, love rocks have been found throughout the United States and in many countries around the world. People have shared hundreds of stories of "how these little rocks with fabric hearts have found their rightful owner just when they needed it most".

It happened to me.

I mentioned last week that I had an epic meltdown when we arrived in Manzanita for our annual beach vacation.  I was missing my older son, worrying about my younger one, and flooded with too many memories all at once.  Finally deciding that I needed a long walk outside - stat - I left the house and immediately saw this little rock nestled in the gravel near the garage.  I had no idea what it was, but tucked it into my pocket.

Later that afternoon I showed it to my sister and we looked up the Facebook page.  I couldn't believe what I was reading.  What a beautiful and brave way to spread love, especially in the midst of such heartbreak.  And this little rock had found me just when I needed it most.

My love rock has been the foundation of my shift in attitude towards the positive.  That very day I started to see things in a different way, and I feel peace when I hold it in my hand. Sometimes you need a good cry, sometimes you need a long walk, and sometimes you need a love rock.

I'm going to keep mine for a bit longer, and when the time is right I'll place it back out into the world.  My niece and I bought some Mod Podge and we plan to make more to share.

Because it's amazing what a little rock can do.