Friendship. Courage. Friends on a Rock.
Quite often life’s pleasures and great moments sprout from the little things, the things that may seem insignificant at the time.
A few weeks ago on CBS Sunday Morning, I saw a story on the news about three second grade students from Kittredge Elementary in North Andover, Massachusetts. These students created a long-lasting friendship from something as simple as a little rock sticking out of the ground in their schools playground.
Celia DiSalvo, Kyra Brown, and Alex Gamble were second graders when they began their quest to dig up this “little rock” using sticks and plastic utensils from the cafeteria. What seemed like a quick and easy task turned into a mission that lasted the course of 4 school years. Each day at recess, the three friends painstakingly dug around this rock in their mission to unearth it.
As it turns out, the little rock wasn’t so little at all, but rather a big boulder. Having followed the students unwavering quest, the school decided to bring in heavy equipment to finally bring the rock to the surface before the three friends left for middle school. Now, seven years later, the rock sits in the school’s playground, a symbol of perseverance and friendship.
As it turns out, this simple “little rock” has turned into a meeting place for the students of Kittredge Elementary. Students meet at the rock and form friendships. Some students say that the rock has become a sanctuary where students who are bullied or have few friends go to, and inevitably, find comfort and friendship. The three students who started the digging ten years ago have become school legends.
It’s the Simple Things that matter.
As is very often the case if we really take time to notice, great things often grow out of simple little things. One little good deed, act of kindness or generosity, or even a kind word can sometimes alter the direction of a person’s life – change their life! Meeting friends on a rock.
Don’t Judge a Book by its Cover.
Another lesson this story can teach us is that it is never wise to judge something simply by what you can see from the outside – this goes for people as well as potential opportunities. What’s important is what lies beneath the surface, the unseen potential.
All of this from something as simple as a little rock sticking out of the ground? You bet!
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