'Kindness Rocks Weyburn!'

People of all ages are rocking Weyburn and the surrounding area with colourful messages of kindness and hope hidden in plain sight.

Photo courtesy of Danielle Rose McKenzie‎.

Since the middle of summer, painted rocks in all shapes and sizes have cropped up along walking trails, in parks, near landmarks and outside local businesses. Some bear small masterpieces, the painters clearly talented artists; others display a single word, such as hope, peace, dream or love. Still many are the work of young children, emblazoned with a smiley face, a rainbow or a heart.

The idea is to paint a picture or a message that will bring happiness to those that find the rock. The rocks are random acts of kindness that can be done by anyone. The level of talent the painter has is irrelevant as even the simplest of rocks can brighten a person's day.

On the back of some of the rocks is the name of a Facebook group, and the finder is encouraged to post a picture there and then re-hide the rock for someone else to find. Some rocks also have individualized hashtags, which, if included in the post, allows the painter to follow their rocks’ travels. And some rocks are anonymous.

Genell Furgason is the creator of the 'Kindness Rocks Weyburn!' Facebook group. "My son and I were just looking for something to do and we came across these painted rocks on Pinterest and he was like, 'What do those say, mom? I wanna do that.' And so I read it to him and told him what it was and he said, 'I like that. We should do that.' So we just started painting rocks and we started placing them around town. Then I saw that another friend of mine was doing the same thing so I thought I may as well make a group and get other people in on it," told Furgason.

The Kindness Rocks Project is what started it all roughly two and a half years ago. Founder, Megan Murphy began placing rocks, painted with inspirational quotes and sayings, on the beaches of Cape Cod, Massachusetts to spread positivity and now people from all around the world are following in her footsteps.

Now, the rocks don’t just span across the United States, thousands of the rocks can be found in at least 9 countries around the world. Canada being one of the newest countries to join the list.

"I just think life is so hard and if we can do things to make it easier for people. If you can spread smiles and kindness around, why wouldn't ya? We'll be so much further ahead if we build each other up. I'm happy to be a part of this," said Tana Torkelson, a member of 'Kindness Rocks Weyburn!'.

How it works

The project, or game, begins by finding the perfect rock.

Photo of my daughter a few years ago when she found a heart-shaped rock.

If you can't find the perfect rock, any rock will do as it is more about the message on the rock than how the rock looks.

Then the real fun begins. Now you can paint your rock or rocks any way you like. Be creative and have fun with it. Don't feel like you have to paint a masterpiece. A simple one-word message is enough to uplift someone when they are having a bad day.

The rocks are then semi-hidden where someone looking could find it – setting the rocks on benches or window sills are good options.

"Thinking of where to place them is a fun part of it too," said Megan Cascagnette, a member of 'Kindness Rocks Weyburn!'. "You focus on who might need that message you wrote and where to hide it. It really makes the kids think about their little acts of kindness."

Do not place the rocks where they could be hit by a lawn mower, edger or weed eater. You don't want your gesture of kindness to ruin someone's day.

When you find a rock, take a picture of the rock (and the finder too if you’d like) and post to 'Kindness Rocks Weyburn!' with information on where the rock was found.

The next step is the finder’s choice. Simply re-hide the rock in another spot so another person may enjoy the find, or if you just cannot part with your little rocky jewel, take it home and enjoy it daily. However, the group asks that the finder paint another rock and hide that one.

"I've always told my daughter that if you're able to help someone you should," told Lisa Pollock, a member of 'Kindness Rocks Weyburn!'. "So finding something small like a rock doesn't have to be a grand gesture. Just random acts to brighten someone's day. I think that's a really important message that we need to pass on to our children."

You've seen it on the bus when someone offers his or her seat to an elderly person: The generous person feels noble, the elderly person beams with gratitude and even spectators feel like cheering inside just from having witnessed a simple act of kindness.

The act of helping others is, in fact, an energizing and fulfilling act. Helping others evokes gratitude, and research has stated this naturally instills health and happiness within us. It also helps to form social bonds.

In a dog-eat-dog world, that often seems to be driven by Machiavellian behavior, it’s reassuring to know that from an evolutionary perspective our brains are wired to feel rewarded more for magnanimity and selflessness than for meanness and selfishness.

On a neurobiological level, research pinpoints specific ways that when you help others, you’re also helping yourself. The rewards of giving and receiving social support creates the ultimate win-win situation. When someone in need receives help, he or she benefits directly from the social support; simultaneously, the giver benefits in specific brain regions associated with stress, reward, and caregiving.

"I just like how simple it is," added Furgason. "There are so many things you can do to make someone's day, but a rock? No one would think that a rock would make someone's day. To paint a rock and have someone find it, it's pretty amazing for something like that to make their day."

Haig School in Weyburn has been so inspired by the Kindness Rocks Project that they will be creating a river of painted rocks outside of their school. The theme of their artwork is "Only One You" as they will be watching a movie this Friday based off of a novel of the same name. As a school, they will be breaking into Superhero Teams to then paint and place all of the rocks.

Photo of what Haig School's project will look like when it is done courtesy of Deana Peterson.

Below is a gallery of photos shared by members of the Kindness Rocks Weyburn! Facebook group.