Point Pleasant Register / Paint a heart, share a heart

MASON COUNTY — Sometimes the simplest gesture can make someone’s day so much better, like finding an unexpected decorated rock while going through with the ordinary of everyday life.

Kathorine (Kathy) Cobb, Ashton local and administrator of Western WV Rocks, shared her group wanted a way to kick off their summer kindness projects and decided to create the event, “Paint a Heart, Share a Heart.”

The rules are easy, those participating just paint a rock white, add a red heart, and then send it out into the world for another to find.

“The white represents the purity in every heart, no matter who you are you are pure of heart,” said Cobb. “The red heart shows the love we all have; the love we share when we unexpectedly brighten someone’s day. Each person has a job with the rock you create, from the creator to the hider, from the finder to the re-hide. Each person who touches this rock adds a little glimmer of hope, love, and most of all kindness.These rocks are meant to be shared, to be passed along from one loving person to the next. Always moving, passing the kindness along like ripples in the water.”

The “drop” date for these specific rocks is scheduled for Monday, July 1. Meaning those with a “Paint a Heart, Share a Heart” rock, wherever they are in the world, hide their rock for another to find.

“We are hoping that we spread kindness everywhere that day,” sad Cobb. “This rock may look simple, but, it’s created that way so that no matter your age or disability this simple rock can be created. But please pass it on, this is why I created ‘Paint a Heart, Share a Heart.’”

This event has spread all the way across the United States, to all 50 states and in foreign countries including Argentina, South Africa. Australia, Canada, England, United Kingdom. India, Netherlands, Spain, as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands.

“People were so encouraged by the project that they were inviting their friends and entire groups were joining to participate in this kindness project,” said Cobb. “It escalated within one month to 661 members.”

Western WV Rocks was created by Cobb in January of 2017. The purpose of the club was for individuals to paint a rock, hide the rock, and wait for it to be found and, hopefully, once found it will be hidden again. She created her own group after being a member of the Northeast Ohio Rocks rock club. After having such a peak of interest in the kindness rocks project, the group manager from Northeast Ohio Rocks helped Cobb create her own group, which has grown to have 33,184 members. Members of Western WV Rocks are located throughout all 50 states in the U.S. as well as several other countries.

Along with hosting rock painting parties for interested individuals/groups/organizations, on the Western WV Rocks Facebook page Cobb creates daily as well as monthly challenges to encourage her members to continue painting rocks and spreading kindness.

Recently, Western WV Rocks hosted a rock painting party with the Shooting Stars 4-H Club from The Plains, Ohio. The party consisted of at least 25 children and adults. Donna Harper, moderator for Western WV Rocks, gave a demonstration on how to take care of the rocks as well as how to wash and ready them for painting. She also gave a demonstration on how to create butterflies and simple creatures on the rocks.

To get involved with this movement, find and follow Western WV Rocks on Facebook.

Original article here.