My little guy and I LOVE LOVE to search for rocks and seashells and feathers and other treasures.
It doesn’t matter if we’re walking in the neighborhood or at the beach or in the mountains, we make time to search for Mother Nature’s precious gifts.
Holding a rock in his little (but almost as big as mine) hand, he says, “Is this a keeper, Grandma?”
I take a look, think for a minute, and reply, “No, not that one. It’s not asking me to come home. Let’s leave it for someone else to find and bring to their house.”
“How about THIS one, Grandma?”
“Oh YES, T! That’s exactly the kind I love. It’s perfect.”
“OK, you bring it home with you and I’ll see it when we come to your house.”
“Why do you love rocks so much?”
“Great question, T. I love them because they make me happy and I like to collect pretty things. Why do YOU like rocks?”
“They make ME happy, too, Grandma!”
“OK. Think about this. You like it when you get presents in the mail, right? Well, this is getting presents too, but they don’t cost money and we get to have so much fun finding them together, so when we’re not together, we can remember what fun we had.”
“Hey, T, is this the kind that you like?”
I’m holding a pure white oval rock.
“Oh yes! Do you want it, Grandma?”
“That’s very kind of you to think about me, T, but this one is for you. Let’s look for more.”
At this point, all my pockets are full and weighted down by rocks and seashells, and my backpack has no more room, either.
“T, look at me, I’m all loaded down! Let’s leave some to find next time, OK?”
“Grandma, we love rocks so much, don’t we? I put the special ones in the little box you sent me. Where do you keep yours?”
“My special favorites are on the windowsill in my bedroom, so I can see them every day and think about you.”
“Can you take a picture of them and send it to me?”
“I sure will, little buddy.”
Enchanted Seashells by Princess Rosebud 
exhaaaaaalllleeee. Yes. Such a wonderful walk and story. The millions of years of dog-eared polish in rocks you are both traversing through together… with a 4-year old resonating. Liquid resonance story of connecting with each other and the All… lol, packed with all and pockets also full. Treasure hinting for resonance instead of OOOHH SHINY. Treasure hunting AS connection, and building more connection in so doing. This is wonderful. The back n forth conversation built, and built, and no stones were ever stacked. Other things were. Big Abrazos trailheads of connection here. (How do you motion in a wonderfully long-form “cherish” in words?)
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What is it about rocks? I’m always looking at the ground, looking for that special rock. And a have a small assortment from years ago, including a few fossils of crabs I found on Guam.
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Awesome! I think rocks are so special. In another life, I got boxes and boxes of seashells and other stuff sent to me from Guam.
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