While living on the Washington Coast, I began experience deep bouts of depression. One day, the darkest day of my life, I found a small, white, naturally shaped heart, tumbling in the surf. Instantly, I saw it as my reminder that I matter, am loved, and am not alone; and that the world is a better place because I am in it.

When I noticed students I was teaching were having a dark time, I'd go back to the beach and find a heart rock for them. I'd explain to them that it's a little reminder that they can keep for as long as they need it, perhaps even their whole life, that they matter, are loved, and are not alone. And then, when they're ready, to pass it on.

After a while, I couldn't find any more hearts on the beach. So I bought a little tile saw and began experimentally cutting flat, colorful skipping stones into hearts. It was so much fun!

I began leaving hiding them in public places and watching people's delight as they found them. I realized that it was a little way that I could make the world a better place.

Then, in 2019, after losing a loved one to suicide, and being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I swore in my grief that I would make 100,000 hearts and convinced people to use them to strengthen their family ties and deepen their friendships.

My secret hope was that someday, someone, somewhere, would use one of my handmade hearts to save someone’s life by preventing a death by suicide.

That was the day that my entire life changed, the day I discovered my life's work, the day I began becoming "The Heart Rock Guy" – ONE HEART at a time.

Since then, I've made over 27,000 hearts. When I realized I couldn't make enough by myself, I started Take Heart Rocks, and brought in dozens of stone carvers from around the world to help me make hundreds of thousands more. I've LOVED sharing these hearts!

I've hidden thousands of hearts in public places for people to find and mailed tens of thousands more to individuals, families, schools, churchs, and communities worldwide.

I've done 145+ school kindness assemblies (170,000+ hearts), 330+ community events (80,000+ hearts), 6+ keynote addresses (5,000+ hearts), and donated tens of thousands more to hospitals, therapists, military members, nonprofit organizations, etc.

To my best knowledge, I've shared over 350,000 of my handmade hearts.

And, as of November 2025, I’m aware of 124+ instances where somone has used one of my handmade hearts to save someone's life.

AND THE BEST PART ABOUT MY STORY???

This is only the beginning!

I will use my life to make and share millions of my handmade hearts.

And if there's even the tiniest chance that one of these hearts can help one person, isn't it worth all of the effort?

And why can't that one person be me?

So please excuse me, I'm going to go out back, behind my shed and make some more hearts.

I'll update this section later. :)

available upon request