'Rock Fairy' Spreads Joy In San Fernando Valley
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — In Valley Village, Valley Glen, Sherman Oaks and Studio City, neighbor after neighbor told similar stories about beautifully decorated rocks left on their doorsteps.
The artist, who handpainted the pieces in rich colors, remained anonymous.
Recipients touched with joy dubbed the good-deed doer the "Rock Fairy."
Gary Breslau was pleased to find one of the skillfully designed rocks outside his house.
"I came home, and there it was," Breslau said. "It was like - Wow! I've been blessed. The Rock Fairy found me."
Rose Fenton was one of the first to post a photo of a Rock Fairy creation on Nextdoor, a website that's like Facebook for neighborhoods. The rock was left on her doorstep in early September.
"I was really excited. Somebody had taken the time to create something beautiful and share it in an anonymous way. It did feel spiritual," Fenton recalled.
As neighbors responded to her photo, handpainted rocks started showing up on their doorsteps, too.
For Ann Molinier, receiving a stranger's gift of something beautiful was life changing. "That changed everything. It completely made me happy, far more than anything else could have. It arrived on a perfect day at a perfect time," she said.
Molinier did not know why she was chosen. But Lena Franzman, who lives several blocks away, had a theory.
"You earn it of being kind and being sweet," the 5-year-old said.
After her family received a rock, Lena got inspired. "I got a rock from the garden, and I just painted it," the girl said.
Lena said she was ready to give it away and be a rock fairy herself.
Her younger sister wanted to do the same, she said as she showed off a rock she also painted herself.
"I don't want to get too deep, but the circular patterns [represent] the circularity of life. It's wonderful," the girls' mother, Kathleen Franzman said.
For now, the identity of the Rock Fairy remained a mystery. But a note left behind offered a clue to the motive.
The note said: "I enjoy creating the rocks and have received immense pleasure through the recipients' posts of joy and gratitude."
"It means so much that someone, who doesn't even know me, decided to paint a rock and place it on our doorstep," another recipient said.
"Thank you. Thank you," Franzman said sincerely.
"I just want to say thank you very much for spreading so much joy," Molinier said. "We love it. We love you."
If there is someone in your neighborhood spreading joy to strangers, we would like hear about it. Contact us on our Facebook page or on CBSLA.com.
