Good morning!!
I am so ashamed it has taken me THIS long to write to you. For that, I apologize. I found my beautiful "strength" rock on November 14th, 2013.
I was so excited to see the rock! I was vacationing in San Diego with my mom and my youngest brother. We were visiting my "other younger" brother who had just recently moved to Encinitas with his wife. He was very excited to show us the Self Realization Meditation Gardens. You could walk to it from his home.
This trip was big for us. For me, it was the first time I had left my own little family. I have two children, 5 and 7, and a husband Jason. My heart ached leaving them for a week. The day I found the rock was our first full day in San Diego, and I was feeling....sad. I was worried. I had a bad feeling when I woke up that morning that something would go wrong, and I would be so far away (my home is in Maryland). Finding the rock....I just thought of Luca's parents. I cannot imagine the pain of losing a child, and the strength it takes to honor their memory so beautifully this way.
Had it not been for my youngest brother, I may not have found the rock. He had ventured up high in the garden to a beautiful overlook. The rock was on a bench around the bend. I have attached a picture of my view, just breathtaking.
My father passed away 10 years ago, and it was always affected my little brother differently than the rest of us. For this reason, I sometimes wish He had in fact been the one who found and took the rock. The recent months have been especially tough for him, as he is at a crossroads in his life. I might just pass the rock to him. My mom, however, is the pillar of strength. She amazes me more and more every day.
Thanks for letting me share and for this unique experience. My prayers and thoughts are with Luca's family, and all of those families working through the loss of a child.
Warmly, Lindsay