Rock-solid advice: Educator plants seeds of hope in kindness garden
In the midst of all the negativity circling the world right now, a local educator has made a way for people to focus on kindness.
Boulder City High School Principal Amy Wagner recently started a kindness garden at the campus for the community.
“You can never underestimate the power of a positive word or positive energy,” she said.
Wagner said she started focusing on kindness at the beginning of 2020 when she and her staff decide words to focus on for the calendar year. A little bit later, Wagner had the idea to make a kindness garden because it was something she could do in the midst of all the negativity and uncertainty.
“This is something I can do. … Positive energy is powerful in a time when people are tearing others apart,” she said.
Wagner had the idea on a weekend and then bought a 25-pound bag of river rocks and art supplies to get started.
“I painted them all that weekend. … It was fun and therapeutic,” she said.
Each rock has a single encouraging word or short encouraging phrase on it. Some say, “Be Kind” or “Just Breathe” and others are just painted in bright colors.
Wagner said she decided to put the garden at the entrance to the school because the staff members and residents walk by the area every day.
“It might bring a smile to their faces,” she said. “They can take a rock for inspiration or motivation or share it. … Kindness is free, and we can sprinkle that stuff everywhere.”
Even though it’s located at the school, Wagner said anyone can drop off a rock or take one. She also said she is doing videos about the garden and has another spot at the school to expand it if needed.
“In a world where you can be anything, be kind. Because we want our kids to be kind,” she said.
Contact reporter Celia Shortt Goodyear at cgoodyear@bouldercityreview.com or at 702-586-9401. Follow her on Twitter @csgoodyear.
