Please know that I think this is a beautiful gift that you are sharing with this world. It has helped in healing souls today.
~From a Kindness Rocks recipient, October 2015
I am fortunate to live on Cape Cod, a peninsula located on the eastern edge of Massachusetts. It is a place where visitors from around the world come to experience the beauty and serenity found in its magnificent land and seascape. The beach is where I go to exercise both physically and spiritually.
Oftentimes, while on my morning walk, I’ll whisper, “Send me a piece of sea glass or a heart-shaped rock as a sign.” I’m speaking to my mom and dad. It may seem a bit crazy to some, but I do feel that connection on my walks. On the days when the perfect heart rock does manifest itself or the rare piece of sea glass washes up on the shore, I believe my decisions are being guided from above.
Losing my parents in my twenties was extremely difficult. One year after my wedding, my mother succumbed to breast cancer. She was my most influential role model because of her selflessness, her kindness towards others, and the creative gifts she shared with the world. My father remains the most caring and charismatic person I have ever met. He was my hero and instilled in me that caring for others was simply what we do, without hesitation, recognition, or attachment to any outcome.
When I found myself in a perfect storm two years ago, I missed the guidance and support of my parents. I was raising three teenage daughters, with all that entails, plus I had just gone through a complicated business partnership that ended in the sale of my company. I needed to find an outlet that would give me purpose and meaning, so I volunteered for various nonprofit organizations, including one that involved taking a humanitarian trip to India with Cross-Cultural Solutions. There, I was assigned to a small school in the Himalayas where I taught English to schoolchildren. The surroundings were simple — a classroom hut made of stucco and straw.
I witnessed how simple acts of kindness had so much impact on those who have so little. Even the smallest gesture, such as a smile or a hug, was a gift. It created a connection.
A month after my return from India, I was on my morning walk when I had an epiphany. I realized that many of the people I came across while walking on the beach were probably searching for inspiration as well. The beach is where many go to be introspective. I started focusing my awareness on others by observing their behavior. It was all too familiar.
The next morning, I packed a Sharpie pen in my pocket and headed out on my morning walk. I began writing kind words of encouragement on smooth, flat stones and randomly dropping them along the beach. I tried to put a lot of thought into the words I chose, taking into consideration how they would make me feel if I discovered one on my walk. Would I truly see it as a sign or a message that was meant for me?
A friend of mine found one of the rocks and texted me a photo of it. What were the chances of that? This is a large beach with literally millions of rocks. No exaggeration. She mentioned how much the rock had affected her, and that she recognized my handwriting. It was no secret to her that I walked that beach daily.
I denied responsibility. Insecurity and fear of judgment prevented me from being honest with her. She sensed otherwise and said, “Well, if it was you who dropped it, you really made my day.”
Her words lingered in my thoughts. I considered confessing, but decided that remaining anonymous made the act more impactful. The focus would remain on the message for the person who discovered it. The Kindness Rocks Project was born.
Soon, I began painting and dropping rocks on a daily basis — outside the grocery store, along the beach, at the post office, wherever my travels took me. My daughter suggested that I add a hashtag to the back of each rock. This would enable me to remain anonymous while connecting with rock recipients. Not only were people now sharing photos on social media, but also an emotional narration of how the rock made them feel.
On the way home from her last chemotherapy appointment, one woman commented that “finding a rock was an unexpected blessing in her day,” and she saw the rock as a simple reminder of her strength and courage. This made me very emotional. The Kindness Rocks Project is a true example of the saying “It’s better to give than to receive.”
One day, while searching the Internet, I uncovered a video posted by a high school girl on YouTube expressing her gratitude for a kindness rock she had found earlier in the day. She was in her bedroom speaking to the camera as if she was having a conversation with a friend. She talked courageously about her ongoing battle with depression. Tears filled her eyes when she described a rock that she had found. It read: Don’t ever give up or give in. This moment had a profound effect on her. She described that rock as a symbol that someone cared, and she believed the message was specifically meant for her.
In just two years, I am humbled and full of gratitude for the 23,000 people who have joined the project and turned it into a movement. Kindness truly is contagious! Please join us in The Kindness Rocks Project.
~Megan Murphy
Editor’s note: To learn more, visit http://thekindnessrocksproject.com
