When my husband and I found our first "kindness rock" in Hagerstown City Park on Easter Sunday, I had no idea that I was stumbling upon a worldwide movement rooted in a woman's journey of love and loss, and her longing for guidance from her parents, who had died years earlier. 

The markings on the back of the rock invited me to share my find on Facebook, using the hashtag # HagerRocks. I snapped a photo and uploaded it to the #HagerRocks Facebook group, and suddenly I was a part of something very special, a group of people who share the intention to make the world a kinder place. 

The process is simple. You paint a rock, write some inspirational words, add the hashtag of your local rock community on the back, and hide it in plain sight for someone to find. The idea is that "one message at just the right moment can change someone's entire day, outlook, life." 

Little did I know that just two weeks after I found that first rock that I would meet The Kindness Rock Project founder, Megan Murphy, at the National Fallen Firefighter Foundation Wellness Conference in Ohio. 

I don't want to give away the show, but I think you will be moved by the way The Kindness Rocks Project has helped her stay connected to her parents, herself, and the world. From meaning making to posttraumatic growth, Megan's story is an inspiration to us all. And the stories she has received from people who have stumbled onto a rock at just the right moment are equally inspiring. I look forward to reading more about those in her upcoming book.

Summary: 

Explore how painting rocks and spreading kindness can help you maintain a connection with your departed loved ones while tapping into your inner wisdom during grief. Hear how one woman's grief experience unexpectedly launched a worldwide movement, and how you can engage in important grief work - such as self-compassion, continuing bonds, and meaning making - all while sharing "one message of kindness at just the right moment" in your community and beyond.

International Drop a Kindness Rock Day is July 3rd! 

As we move into the holiday weekend, download this episode of the Mindfulness & Grief Podcast to your phone and take a listen, or watch on the website. Since International Drop a Kindness Rock Day is July 3rd, there is a good chance you too will come across one of these gems. It is up to you if you keep it, hide it, and/or post it.