We accessed a small beach of rocks. There were beautiful caves nearby, only accessible during low tide. We were told to look for a certain type of rock on the beach and make a wish on it. They were unusual rocks, but I was up for spending at least a little bit of time searching. After lunch, I started to meander on the rocky beach. Apparently, it was not going to be easy to find a special wishing rock. I took some photos, picked up a few rocks, tossed them back, then started a conversation with a passerby. She seemed to be much more invested in finding the right rock and wanted to know if I’d found any. When I told her no, she continued to shuffle down the beach with her head down to continue searching. I saw her pick up a couple rocks, examine them, and quickly toss them aside.
I turned around and took a few steps, glanced down, and picked up a possibility. Sure enough, it had the color striations we’d been told about, and it was shaped in a flat heart. It was beautiful. I didn’t make a wish. I wasn’t sure it would make a difference, and I knew there was someone who would appreciate more. I jogged to catch up with the passerby and handed it to her. She was surprised and thought at first I was just letting her see one. I told her it was her wishing rock, not mine. “Are you sure?,” she asked. I was. She didn’t want to take my wish from me, but I explained it wasn’t my wish if I gave her the rock. It was now her rock. She was thrilled, and she caught up with me again later to thank me.
It wasn’t a big deal. To me, it was a pretty rock. To her, it seemed heavier, deeper. I don’t know that it would have made a difference to either one of us if I hadn’t shared or even found the rock. It seemed to be a small moment in a long, good day. Sometimes that’s how we connect with others. When we find ourselves in small, insignificant moments, perhaps they’re not as small and insignificant to someone else. I’ve found it’s usually more about the people, whether we know them well or not, instead of the details of the situations.
People matter.
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