On Tuesday I taught a rock painting class to the Thresholds Veterans Project team in Chicago. We started with hearts and simple rainbows, and then they went from there. They were all so talented, creative, and passionate! I loved seeing what they came up with (and wish I would have taken more photos but I was too in the moment)!

So many of them told me how much fun they had and they said they they definitely want me to come teach veterans. Yay! I’m excited to work out the details with them.

It feels really good to be sharing this passion and to get other people excited about leaving kindness rocks out for a stranger to find (and hopefully, make that stranger feel good!). This team is extremely community focused so kindness rocks is a perfect fit. I’m so glad their Program Director randomly found one of my rocks and contacted me.

Teaching was not without its challenges this week:

• Traffic getting to the city was NUTSO. I gave myself an extra 30 mins and needed them all. Eh, it happens. I hate being late (and by late, I mean, not early). The Program Director felt bad and kept apologizing. Not his fault! (He is so kind! He said thank you so much and specifically told me I am appreciated. My love language is “words of affirmation” so that makes me feel good.)
• I asked them to order a bunch of paint pens and somehow they ordered mostly the wrong brand. I had brought mine too, so it was all good. I really wonder what the mix up was though!
• Ha, this is my fault – I put my unsealed rocks out as examples and they helped me set them up and take them down and stacked them and they got all messed up. I just had to fix them. I won’t do that again. What was I thinking taking unsealed rocks?!
• I completely blanked when I was giving my intro to them. The one I’ve practiced so much. I just cannot speak this week. I also said I was in region 6, not 5, when I introduced myself to regional administrator in front of my regional commissioner at work this week, so that was great.

I continue to be amazed and grateful for all of the connections and opportunities I’ve had through my rock painting hobby! I have to thank my snis for getting me started and always supporting me!