Tomball Family Shares Love And Positive Vibe With Kindness Rocks

TOMBALL, TX — In an age where TV news and social media often spread discord and negativity, a local family is spreading some love. They're doing it by sharing hand-painted rocks with a positive message.

Seven-year-old Tomball resident Sierra Lemmer is leading the charge. Along with her mom, Heather, she started the Northpointe Rocks Facebook page.

“Mom asked if I wanted to start painting rocks, and I got really excited about it and I wanted to start doing it to make people’s day,” she said.

Known as the Kindness Rock Project, it was started in 2015 by a woman who was dealing with personal difficulties. She began picking up rocks on daily walks along the beach, writing positive messages on them and leaving them for others to find.

When a friend of hers found one of the rocks and sent her a text about it, she realized it was a way to spread a positive message. The phenomenon soon spread throughout the U.S. and world.

Heather said she learned of the Kindness Rock Project while doing a search online after Hurricane Harvey.

"We 'd done some volunteering after Harvey," she said, "and after that (Sierra) was kind of bummed out that there wasn't anything to do."

She went to an area store to buy a rock kit and decided painting them would be fun — and a little different.

Heather said that at first, Sierra didn't want to hide the rocks and give up her artistic creations. But when she saw how they could make people smile, she was all in.

Northpointe Rocks Facebook Group has grown to 84 members since it was started three weeks ago.

"The first week that we started it, she went to go spend the night with my mom and made her go and buy paints so they could paint over there," Sierra's dad, Clayton Lemmer, said. "Now they are taking those rocks to their other house in South Carolina to hide out there."

The rocks themselves are unearthed or purchased, cleaned up, and then become works of art — decorated with interesting painted designs or stickers — with a paint pen, washable paints, spray paint or markers.

The rock designs vary: some have team logos, others have rainbows. At least one was painted in the image of a shark and another to look like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.

Once the the rocks are dry, they are hidden or placed in areas for people to find.

So far, about 40 of the brightly colored rocks have been prepared and scattered throughout the Northwest Houston area.

Heather and Sierra hid a few of the rocks in northwest Houston area neighborhoods, at Oak Crest Intermediate School in Tomball ISD, and other interesting places in and around Tomball.

Heather hid one of the rocks on a nearby gas pump, and outside a small strip mall in Tomball Tuesday.

Her dad painted a few with the Texans logo and hid some of those rocks at NRG stadium for some lucky Texans fans to find. And while her brother Carson has painted a few of the rocks, he prefers to watch his mom and sister create.

"I tend to throw out ideas," 11-year old Carson said. "There's already enough hatred and sadness in the world, so you're having a rough day and you find one of these...it puts a smile on people's faces."

All of the rocks have unique designs, but the message is the same: Be kind and love one another.

On the bottom of each rock is a note encouraging the new owner to share a photo on the Northpointe Rocks Face Book Page.

After the rocks are hidden, Heather and Sierra posted a map on the Facebook page so are rock hunters have some idea where to find them.

The responses from some of those who've found the Northpointe Rocks have been pretty positive; they appreciate the kindness and encouragement.

Sometimes, however, rocks are found without being reported. But that's OK with the Lemmer's.

The Lemmer's said they hope to continue spreading the positive message through the placement of Kindness Rocks in Houston and elsewhere for a long time to come.

"Everyone seems to enjoy it," Heather said. "It's wonderful to see how excited people get over a rock. And for Sierra, it's fun."

Image: Sierra Lemmer shows off some of her favorite Kindness Rocks. The rocks are hidden in plain sight in areas throughout the Tomball community. (Image: Bryan Kirk/Patch Staff.)

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