A Pottawattamie County Kindness Story: Vicki Palmer Rocks!

Giving comes in all shapes and sizes. In Vicki Palmer’s case, it comes as a rock.  Kindness rocks to be exact.  (Check out the website if you are unfamiliar, but basically kindness rocks are left for others to find for inspiration, happiness, and comradery.)

What started out as a minor hobby has become a passion:  a passion she spends 15 to 20 hours a week on now that she’s retired!  Three and a half years ago, Vicki saw the 712 Rocks page and was immediately hooked. 

She’s done over 1000 rocks at this point!

Although she says she is certainly not an artist, she started this because it makes kids and adults feel good and they can simply pass that feeling on by re-sharing the rock.  Vicki has placed rocks all over Pottawattamie County when she goes to grandchildren’s games, for holidays, for special events, etc.  She uses local rocks, landscape rocks, Santorini marble tiles, Alaskan flat rocks, and beach pebbles.  She’ll try anything once!  Same goes with her painting methods - colored pencils, spray paint, acrylic paint, gloss finish, stencils, tracing paper, stickers, gems, jewels, wood slices, alcohol ink paint, and her favorite, paint pens. 

Speaking as someone who has a 5-year-old, we have found Vicki’s rocks on our travels through the local towns, and every time, my daughter is beyond excited to find it!  The neighbor kids were even inspired to make their own after getting one of hers.  I can’t help but think of the ripple effect and all that it can do.

I asked if Vicki had any favorites and she said, “Always the last one I did!”  We love that enthusiasm!  However, the most touching story she told me was about how her cousin lost his sister in a car accident.  She’d made rocks for the close family members but hadn’t had a chance to give him his.  She decided to leave it in the funeral home flower bed among the plants and landscaped area figuring whomever was in need of the message would find it.  Guess who found it?  Yes, of course, her cousin found it and he uses the mantra painted on it daily, “Just breathe.” 

Those are the kinds of stories you can’t put a price tag on, nor can you disregard. 

For so many, the negative news wins out, but here’s Vicki spreading joy, one rock at a time.  She doesn’t do it because she has nothing better to do with her time or because she’s getting paid to or because someone told her to but because she can and because she knows happiness needs to be spread.  Thank you, Vicki Palmer, for being that gift to Pottawattamie County.

So as we roll into the holidays, think about that door you can open, that friendly wave you give, that donation to the food pantry, the money or time you can give on Giving Tuesday (Dec. 3) and give in whatever capacity you can, because one person can make a difference…

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