Looking for hidden painted rocks (Photo provided — Diane Chase)

There are two elder twin sisters, known as the Rock Ladies, who live near my in-laws’ house. No visit would be complete without walking past their house and searching through the basket of rocks that they’ve collected and painted with simple scenes and inspirational messages. Anyone is welcome to take one. They don’t ask for money. They just do it because it brings them joy and they hope a simple rock will brighten someone’s day.

In a similar mindset with a wider reach, The Kindness Rocks Project has taken the country by storm. #MakeKindnessRocks encourages people to spread the rock-giving goodness around the country. Painted rocks are now popping up all over the Adirondacks and beyond. The philosophy is simple. If you find a painted rock, you can keep it or hide it in a new spot. Some rocks have directions requesting that a photo be posted on the local Rock Giving site or with the #MakeKindnessRocks hashtag in order to track the rock’s location. Other rocks have no directions at all. It is encouraged if you take a rock, to go home and make a new one and keep the kindness moving forward.

There are various Facebook pages dedicated to the scavenger hunt aspect of finding the rocks. It is a wonderful way to be active and get the whole family outside and working together. My favorite theme is always those sites encouraging random acts of kindness. I think that coming across a painted rock with an encouraging statement or lovingly created by a child can help us all remember that there is goodness in this world.

I have hidden a few painted rocks over time at various places we’ve visited. The Rock Ladies have always been about paying things forward. I I’ve never thought to check to see if they’ve left the area or if they’ve found a new home. That sounds like fun, too. My daughter is now interested in helping to paint rocks with uplifting statements and hopefully boosting someone else’s morale. A few local Facebook sites dedicated to painting and search for rocks are Tupper Lake Rocks, Saranac Lake Rocks, and 518 Rocks. If you find a hidden painted rock, I hope it touches your life in a positive way. It doesn’t matter how you share your kindness, but it is certainly something we all need.

Diane Chase is the author of the Adirondack Family Activities guidebook series, Adirondack Family Time: Your Four-Season Guide to Over 300 Activities.”

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