Robin Szary teaches 4th grade at Fairwood Elementary. 9 year olds in her class, just like all of us, need a way to express themselves artistically. They also need ways to feel like they are having a positive impact on their community.
Szary’s journey with Hamilton’s version of Kindness Rocks began two years ago when she experienced the death of one of her students. Grieving herself, Szary also worried about how her 4th graders would process the loss of their friend and classmate. Her mother, Kim Snider, found this rock-painting project, known online as #TheKindnessRocksProject, and together they began finding rocks to paint and hide, hoping to brighten someone’s day.
Hamilton Rocks was born: the original class of 4th graders made rocks as a way to process their feelings about their lost classmate, and then they hid their rocks around North End in Hamilton. People began to find them, take photographs of them, and share them on a Facebook page. The page grew quickly, with just under 1500 “likes” now, and people around town report finding and making the rocks on their own often.
“My favorite thing is when other groups and schools take it up,” Szary said. “Anyone can paint, and expressing your feelings can be therapeutic.”
Szary and Snider still spend time making decorated rocks now as part of their own artistic expression. “I always have a few in my purse,” Szary said, laughing.
The project has simple roots, but the Facebook page shows that the impact is widespread; rocks from Hamilton have been found from California to Florida! Here are just a few stories of how people have experienced these simple artistic gestures.
Inspired to Create Herself:
“My niece and my daughter were outside by the Old Courthouse and they found a painted rock with an inspirational quote on it. I live right on the great Miami River, so finding River Rocks was easy for me. After we finished painting our first batch of rocks, my kids and I placed them throughout the city. I know how important inspiration and encouragement is when you feel like the world is against you. Therefore, I mainly wanted to place these rocks around rehab centers, shelters, and in places that I know a lost soul might stumble upon it. I actually had a war veteran contact me to tell me that he found my rock and that the message touched him deeply. He said he would keep that rock until the day he dies. It’s such a little random act of kindness; something so small as painting a river rock that caused a chain reaction. It brightens someone’s day. ”
• Stephanie Abner
Comfort on a Hard Day:
“I was at Fitton Art Center, and I decided to walk to the monument building on the corner. As I passed the sculpture of the father and daughter biking, I saw in the father’s hand: the painted rock! I had been half looking for a while for these painted rocks and was truly excited that I had FINALLY found one! It made me feel connected to all the other people who had found rocks around Hamilton. I needed it that day as my son had recently been deployed, and I was feeling a bit lost without him.”
• Beth Combs
Creating Family Bonds:
(As told by Cassie Vibbert’s 8 year old daughter)
“Me and Dad were going to Costco, and I looked down in the grass and saw something colorful so I picked it up. It was one of those painted rocks; it had an elephant on it, I know how much you love them (speaking to her mother) so I wanted to give it to you. I showed Dad, and we both thought it was super cool! I showed all my friends at school. I called my grandparents because this was the 1st one I found ever! I want to keep it, so I’m keeping it, it even says you can keep it or re hide it.”
Cassie: She wanted to show me right away and came running into the house.
Addison: MOM! I found an elephant and a Miracle at Costco! (the rock has the word miracle on it) I turned to see what she was talking about and saw the rock.”
• Cassie Vibbert
A Long-Term Activity of Connecting With Your City:
“As soon as my family saw the Facebook page for Hamilton Rocks, we had to like it! It has become like a treasure hunt for us. Wherever we go, we look for the rocks. I have an 11 year old son, and he loves to find them just as much as I do. We have found most of our rocks at places around town that we frequent, along Main and High Street because we love to shop local! The neat thing is that he loves re-hiding them as much as he does finding them! It’s so cool that something so simple brings so much joy to so many in our town, and they have been found in other places around the country which is so neat. We are so lucky to have Hamilton Rocks in our town.
• Heather Walker
How to Make a #HamiltonRock
1. Gather a rock or two; you can get a whole large bag of garden rocks that are perfect for small Hamilton Rocks at a home improvement store.
2. Sharpie markers make for the best detailed drawings on stones, but you can also use paint to make the rocks beautiful.
3. Come up with an inspirational, pleasant, or generally positive phrase or drawing. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t the world’s best artist!
4. Put the details of the project somewhere on the rock; you can see a sample label on the Facebook page. Most people write: “Like us on Facebook: Hamilton Rocks! Post a picture and keep or re-hide me. #TheKindnessRocksProject.”
5. When your rocks are dry, carry them with you and leave them in places where people would find them, but that aren’t quite obvious. A good rule is to put them in a place where someone could see them without moving anything, but they might have to look pretty hard!
6. Keep an eye out for rocks around town! Take pictures with them when you find them, then rehide them or keep them to bring you some sunshine later that day.