Name: Liesl L

Location: Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle

Story: I placed about 10 stones in my garden. I am an artist who is relatively new to Seattle and very new to gardening. I decided to give gardening a try and in addition to plants, I painted stones to decorate the surroundings. I also created a “magic mailbox” where I put happy messages for neighbors to take (and/or leave their own). It’s a fun experiment in creativity that I figured could bring some joy to the neighborhood. I had just launched the mailbox about the time that I heard John Cohn speak to a group of colleagues on the power of creativity for Kraft Heinz.

I was inspired by John’s talk, and deeply touched by the story he shared about Sam. I requested a few Sam stones to include in my garden. They fit right in with the joyful spirit of the setting, as well as the intention of creative experimentation behind the magic mailbox endeavor. (I further used the mailbox as an excuse to experiment with TikTok– per sample here: https://www.tiktok.com/@magicmailbox/video/7243440744013532462?_r=1&_t=8hOUdbCihjO)

A few weeks after I added the Sam stones to the garden, I found a hand-written note at my front door. A friend of Sam’s named Erik had recently moved to Seattle, just around the corner from me. He recognized Sam’s stones when he was walking his dog and left a note, explaining the connection: he knew Sam from Bolton and grew up in Hinesburg and Monkton.

I took this lovely connection as a sign that Sam would have liked the garden and the magic mailbox. Beyond Erik’s note, many neighbors have commented on the joy they get from garden and stones. To me, it’s a lovely way to connect with creativity and the honor Sam’s spirit, which in turn connects us to each other.