Attention, please.

I'm definitely one of those people who finds treasure in other people's junk.
Not in any kind of junk.
Just the special kinds. And personally, I think a lot of things are special.

My mum can attest to this adorable character trait of mine. She loves it that I have boxes of treasures sitting on her storage room shelves 10 years after moving out. Some, we have even fondly labeled "memorabilia." Isn't that a beautiful name?

Anyways, all of that is background on why I really really was tickled pink by a conversation I had today. It was with a woman who has a soft spot for something in life that few people would appreciate in the same way. And personally, I think it's neat.

She collects rocks.

For her birthday, her kids bring her rocks. Not store-bought ones. Not polished ones. Not matching ones. They pick them up off of the ground and they give them to her. Her kids are in their late twenties.

Isn't that neat?

What I love about that is this: She chose to fall in love with rocks because they speak to her when someone gives them to her, or when she finds one she really likes. She's not drawn to expensive things. She loves the thoughtfulness it takes to walk down a path and say, "Wow, I think ________ would really appreciate this rock. I should bring it to her."

I actually think that what happens with this lady and the rocks is so wonderful.

Think about how much thoughtful attention it takes to discover what that thing is for someone that just hits them in the right way. Or to discover that for yourself, even. A lot of people are great at keying in on that with things you buy, and I'm certainly not against that (please keep buying me things if you are one of those people), but hear me out.

How cool would it be if we showered our loved ones with free, but attention-requiring gifts just because it hits them in that special way? And p.s. if you can't find something for free, garage sales are pretty close to free and are very similar to hunting for something special in the chaos of nature.

Man. This idea totally rocks.