Woohooo!! This is my 100th blog post...which means that I have been on this journey for exactly 100 days. It's hard to believe that it's been that long since the first blog post of Russell and me climbing on that plane in San Francisco. And in some ways that day seems like a lifetime ago. So much has happened since July 31 when Craig, Lois and Adam took me to the airport and I feel like a different person.
It was a beautiful day, so my friend Nancy and I decided to pack up a picnic lunch and head for Golden Pebble Beach along the Yellow Sea. As we were sitting there enjoying our lunch and watching the fishermen bring in their daily catch, I glanced down and found a heart shaped rock, then another, and another. Of course my mind went straight to Mom and knew she was right there on the beach with me on this glorious day. I then set out to find 100 heart shaped rocks to commemorate this very special day. I thought it might take a while, but it wasn't long before Nancy and I had a pile of 1oo Golden Pebble Beach heart shaped rocks. Can you believe it? It was goose bumpily amazing!!
My favorite shot of the day.
Can you believe it? 100 of them!
Mom and I had a tradition of going out to Doran Beach in Bodega Bay to remember people in our family who had passed away. We would write their name in the sand, draw hearts around it, and decorate it with rocks and shells. Right after Mom passed away, I was in Zion National Park along the Virgin River thinking of her, missing her, and facing a reality of living a life without her. A harsh reality that I was deeply struggling with. I didn't know how to do it. I thought of our tradition and there in the sand along the river, I wrote "Mom," drew a heart around it, and reached for a rock to place by her name. It took my breath away when the rock I picked up was in the perfect shape of a heart. I knew deep in my being it was a message from Mom and she was saying, "You don't have to know how to live without me because I haven't left your side. I'm right here, Honey, by your side loving you." Ever since then I've seen heart shaped rocks everywhere and have a wonderful collection in a variety of shapes and sizes, but finding this many, in one area, on one beach was quite phenomenal! I love you, too, Mom.
I love you, Mom. Thanks for being right here
by my side no matter where I go.
Kimberly i love this post!!!! I was trying to find a hear shape rock or pebble for me and my family and i did not find one... do you have them home? cna i steal one of your heart pebbles !!! love your blog!
ReplyDeleteSo sweet! Christiane sent a link to this post because she knows I like heart-shaped rocks. You found 100 on one beach! That is really amazing.
ReplyDeleteHow long will you be in China?
Martin
What a precious way to remember your Mom, I love your blog <3
ReplyDeleteMy family and I also collect heart rocks also heart shaped sea glass and it's a way to enjoy something so simple and loving together. I would love to show this to my family. Your pile of heart rocks are so beautiful!