Thank You Rocks

Since about two weeks after we got baby girl's diagnosis, I have had a small grey rock sitting on my nightstand. Several times, as my husband was helping me clean our bedroom, he would pick up the rock and ask me, "Can I get rid of this?" or "This isn't important, is it?"

He knew the answers to those questions were, "no you can't" and "yes it is" respectively, but he was hoping that with the forgetfulness of pregnancy, those same hormones that made me try to use a can opener on a pot and set an unopened can on the hot burner, would wipe from my memory what I intended for that little stone. He never got that lucky. 

That rock, at least in my mind, was very significant. It's destiny was to adorn the pinnacle of my "thank you" rock pile. Humor me please, while I give you the back story.

Once upon a time, when the people of the desert wanted to create a memory, they would stack up rocks into tall piles. That way whenever anybody passed by they'd be all like "why are those rocks stacked up like that?". Then somebody would say, "oh, that's because King so-and-so won a great battle here" and they would tell the story. And the story would pass down for generations and be remembered.  From a cognitive psychological point of view it was (and still is) a brilliant mnemonic strategy.

Well, anyway, one day as I was thinking of my baby and her future, I looked down and saw this rock. I picked it up, put it in my pocket and kept on walking. (I should probably take this opportunity to apologize here to my mother who found all sorts of strange things in my pockets over the years. Sorry, ma!) Anyway, I played with the rock, turning it over in my hand as I walked and I thought of those ancient rock piles. I thought, "you know, I may just need one of those!"  Something to make people ask me why rocks are stacked up on my lawn. And I can tell them, "Oh! Those rocks are there because a miracle happened in our family!" Following up with details about how God gave us a whole series of victories. And Evangeline would one day tell her own children. And so on.  It would be my thank you memorial to God for helping me through. Anyway, I admit to being emotional during my pregnancy. And forgetful. And yes, passionate about this new little person growing inside me. At any rate, that rock came to represent my hope for her.  So it sat there, a promise of a rock pile, a splinter of a miracle.

Now my tiny rock has a bigger friend. When Bj realized that even after her birth, I had no intention of ridding myself of my newly acquired pet rock, he asked me if I still intended to build a thank you pile.

"Sure!" I said, "It will go in our yard one day. In the garden."
"So, we've got time then to gather the rocks. You know, since we don't have a house or a yard or a garden."
"Yup. Plenty of time to find rocks to stack!" That's really why I've been in no rush.
"Still, we should get started."
I agreed with his assessment. And I genuinely love how he supports me in whatever quirky thing I'm currently trying to accomplish.  He's game for anything, my husband is! So, this is how we have both begun looking for rocks.

Just recently, I spotted a whole area full of them outside Baptist hospital. After pointing them out to hubby, he agreed that for symbolic purposes we surely needed one from that place where she was born.  I'm not really sure if those rocks were part of the landscaping or were just there randomly, but either way, I have just appropriated one for my collection. Its actually a thrill to have  the beginnings of my future rock tower bumping around in the back of our truck!

Over the next year or so, I hope to find more smooth, flat rocks for stacking. So, you know, this season where everybody is being thankful, if you see a suitable "thank you" rock, think of me! And then call me and tell me where you saw it- my rocks need more friends!!!