It's well known that I collect rocks. My neighbor did not know how I really felt about rocks until one day last summer. I picked up a rock while I was with her, and it was heart-shaped. I never found one like that, and I remarked how cool it was that I had found it. 
She took it from me, looked at it, and then threw it back into the garden dirt. "What was that?" I asked myself. I didn't know what to say. Why she threw it back, I couldn't imagine.I've known my neighbor for 23 years now, and you can depend on her for no matter what. Her boys were my boys' friends. She took care of our pets while we were gone. She has a key to our house, and we to her home. We've worked together at her business, and we've eaten plenty of meals together.
My neighbor looked down a bit and said, "It has to be somewhere near." We both looked for a short period with no results. We both laughed it off. I looked again after she left and many times after that. It was just a rock--but heart-shaped and pinkish!!! We never said anything about it again, of course. It was just a rock but disappointing, more about my neighbor than the rock!
My neighbor had been in Florida for three months this year and just got back last weekend. She came knocking at my back door as usual and said she had some rocks for me from Florida!!! She usually brought shells.
She handed me the four rocks, and said, "I found a heart-shaped one, but I guess it got lost." No matter what the rocks looked like (but they are beauties), I was more than elated to get rocks and made a big fuss over them. I realized that she really did feel badly about the heart-shaped rock she threw away a year ago. Why she did that, I still don't know. Maybe she had a hard day??? It all sounds silly when you think about it, but I was reminded again of what a sensitive and good friend she is down deep. I wouldn't have been surprised if she came back that night last summer with a flashlight looking for my heart-shaped rock!!
Love this story, and it makes me think of one I should tell you sometime about a lost and found shell.
ReplyDeleteI love that we are getting glimpses of your passion for rocks in some of your posts.
What a good friend. And now that she knows more about what you love, she is able to demonstrate her friendship in yet another way. This is a great story. Maybe someday there will be a chapter two in which you find the pink heart-shaped rock!
ReplyDeleteI think friendship sometimes demands a test, & you just had one over that rock, I guess. Interesting to hear the story. An impulse that she wishes to take back & cannot? I liked that you told about it, & I am waiting for more rock stories. Have I told you I have a number of interesting rocks, Tam? One looks like a big baking potato-very fun to have sitting in the kitchen!
ReplyDeleteInteresting musing, but I still wonder why she tossed that rock aside. She did bring you some interesting ones. Maybe that heart will still show up one day.
ReplyDeleteThis is a happening that I would ponder about if it happened to me. And it is obvious you wonder about it too. Why did she do it? It seemed to me even when she did do it she herself was somewhat surprised. There seems to be a story under that rock...that no one may know exists. I, too, love rocks!
ReplyDeleteIt must have been an off day for her...I don't know. There is a field fairly near us that is full of rocks. We have ridden our bikes by several times and I'm so tempted to pick a few and put them in my bike basket but haven't. I feel like I need to ask the farmer. What do you do with your rocks? Do you put them in the garden? Keep them in a box? Display? Create art?
ReplyDeleteI love the picture of your rocks. I am so glad your friend brought home a special gift you would appreciate.
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