Treasured Things

Memory is a child walking along a seashore. You never can tell what small pebble it will pick up and store away among its treasured things. 

— Pierce Harris

When pebbles are released it offers even the smallest act of compassion for a life taken far too soon. I never underestimate the impact of this movement is having on our world. For every pebble offered to a source of water is exceptional in its own way. I have often wondered if one of them will be discovered for the treasure it is; by a young child, searching the grains of sands, their feet are upon. Maybe a pebble will be found near a pond or at the base of a waterfall. The possibilities are endless and yet I often feel these precious stones have settled into their new home…without the chance of ever being found. Regardless of their voyages, I hold close the following images. The only stone in this assortment that was not set into water was the cherished one that my daughter painted, long ago, when she was a little girl. I have my very own collection of Shayla’s pebbles that are mine to take out, allowing the warmth of my hands to envelope each one. I sometimes smile, but most often tears fall upon them. It tugs at my fragile heart …not just because Shayla’s dreamed have ended… it is because she dreamed at all that makes The Heart Pebble Movement a part of her legacy.

By T L. Alton