Recently a lovely couple sent us a message through our Facebook page. They found one of the original #SpreadTravisLove kindness rocks while on vacation in Lake Arrowhead, California.
Our new friend Jim wrote:
We carried one of Travis' rocks for 2 years, found in Arrowhead California, took him to Disneyland, then around the US twice. Brought him back to Vegas. His rock is now at the living room coffee table, a beautiful hike in the red rocks of Las Vegas. Such a cute kiddo!
Like many who found one of these #littleorangekindnessrocks, Jim and his wife Robin looked up Travis' story on our website. They decided to carry the rock with them in their fifth-wheel RV for 2 summers. Although they didn't post pictures of the rock along the way, it sat in a place of honor in their truck console as they traversed the country.
Jim writes, "Here are a few pictures of our travels, he was with us all the way and I would talk to his rock often hope you can smile when looking at these photos. We had many fun times! Hugs"
These are a few of the places Jim and Robin took their #SpreadTravisLove rock:
Austin, Texas
Nashville, Tennessee
Ohio
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Mt. Rushmore, South Dakota
The 1st two stops seemed especially appropriate. Austin is the home of Travis' beloved Texas Longhorns. And Nashville is the home of country music (as my musical hero Waylon Jennings proclaims about Nashville in "Bob Wills Is Still the King", a song Travis was also learning to love.) In the live version, when Waylon's setting up how the song was written, on a plane between Dallas and El Paso when his good friend Willie Nelson called begging him to come play at his 4th of July picnic, Waylon says "Now this is what gave us the idea to come down here." A loud cowboy out in the audience shouts "It was a good idea!" That line became somewhat of a family joke between Jamie and me. We would often quote it and then laugh. If you spent any time around Travis, you knew how much he loved to make people laugh, so he started copying us, shouting at the appropriate time "It was a good idea!" with a Texan accent, then dissolving into a fit of giggles at his own wit.
My heart was touched by Jim and Robin. Not only did they care enough about Travis' story to tote the rock around on their travels for 2 summers, but Jim talked to the rock often, feeling as if Travis was somehow with him. They are now armed with more rocks for their upcoming travels and we are proud to have them be Travis' ambassadors, telling his story throughout the world.
I really find it remarkable how such a small child could have such a big impact on people. So much so that total strangers are now good friends! It perfectly described my son and how he touched so many people, both during his time on earth and since he's been gone. It is why crafting his legacy through preventing other children from dying of Isolated Congenital Asplenia is so important to us. You never know what child might become the next quarterback of the Texas Longhorns or the next Waylon Jennings because their Asplenia was detected before a fatal infection claimed them.