Every year we try to go to the beach for our son's birthday. It has become a family tradition.

Last year's trip was a bit different for us as it was more of a restoration trip than celebration. I could explain why but that would change the tone of what I would like to convey.

It always amazes me how life seems to meet us halfway with some kind of little momentum of hope or kindness, inspiration, support (like that happy cloud day). And in a blink of an eye, your whole perspective is changed or re-directed.

So here we were, exhausted, from our 'restorative' trip and getting ready to head home when we found this rock:

Now, it certainly didn't remove the grief that we were feeling, but what it did do was give that little bit of redirection and warm feeling knowing that someone took the time to paint and leave a positive message on this rock to be found. It was that act of KINDNESS. It was kind of special and made us all smile.

I have kept this rock in my vehicle all year, keeping it close in my door pocket so that I could look at it occasionally just to remind me of that 'warm feeling' and the kindness.

We weren't ready to leave it for someone else at the time we found it but as we've healed and found our new normal, we are ready now to let it go and let it continue serving its purpose of kindness for someone else in need of that warm feeling.

We decided that we would return the rock to the beach with a thank you to whomever left it. I suspect it was a child that left it but you never know! Maybe the rock has been passed around for a while...years...kept and then left for someone else...maybe it has a lot of human stories that imbue its little pink body.

I think that this summer, we'll be painting rocks and continuing this as a new tradition.

Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end. ~ Scott Adams