Today is International Rock Day

Rocks the kids have given me over the years.

According to the site I was looking at, it's the kind of rock you kind in nature ... not the kind you pay a ridiculous amount of money to watch perform. I say this because the holiday calendar I look at specifically said in was rocks, but when I typed "International Rock Day" into a search engine, other sites were referencing Rock and Roll ... which this "holiday" is not!

When Davy was in pre-school, he would dig through the sand everyday to find me a rock. Some days he'd find several, some days he'd just find one. He'd put them in his cubby in his classroom to give to me when I picked him up. One day the teacher saw the rocks and took them, telling him he couldn't keep rocks in his cubby.

He was crushed. From then on, he'd either put the rocks in his shoe or in his underwear. One day when I picked him up, he burst into tears. I asked him what was wrong and he said, "I didn't find a rock for you today." I told gave him a big hug and calmed him down, telling him that was okay, that he didn't have to bring me a rock everyday. But with few exceptions, he did.

I treasured those rocks, saving them in a vase.

When my kids went to camp or went on an outing of some sort, I always gave them spending money. They asked what I wanted for a souvenir. I always told them a rock ... and not just any rock ... it had to be a wild rock, not a tame one from the driveway.

As a result, my kids were always bringing me rocks, and I've saved every single one. It was a long time before my kids discovered my stash of rocks. They were happy and surprised that I had kept them. It never occurred to me not to keep them! I loved that they thought of me and picked up a rock to make me smile ... because I always did.

Even as adults, they still bring me rocks. Not as often, but every once in a while they'll get a mischievous grin and say, "Close your eyes and hold out your hand. I've got something for you." I would do as I was told, and they would reward me with a rock.

When John went to Ireland in 2008, he asked what I wanted him to bring me back. I said, "A rock, and not just any rock ... it has to be a wild rock." He was videotaping one of his adventures in the countryside while he was there, and he reached down and picked up a rock off a trail he was walking. He showed it to the camera and said, "Here's your rock, Jackie, and it's a wild rock."

I think Davy brought me more rocks than the girls combined, probably because he was always outside running and playing and digging in the dirt.

Since Davy's death, we've all found rocks unexpectedly. I've found three very small rocks, much like the tiny rocks he'd find in the sand at pre-school. Thing 1 found a rock in an a place a rock should never have been ... but Thing 2's story is the sweetest. She was wondering why Davy had given me and Thing 1 a rock, but she hadn't gotten one yet, then a little girl at Vacation Bible School told her she had a surprise for her ... and handed her a rock. Of course, Thing 2 burst into tears and thanked that little girl profusely ... while secretly thanking Davy.

The girls and I like to think the rocks are Davy's way of telling us he's okay. We know it's silly, but it makes us happy, and it's not hurting anyone, so we're all going to continue believing the rocks were from Davy. If God can part the Red Sea, He can make sure my son leaves his sisters and I a rock for us in this time of the deepest grief we'll ever know.

PLEASE KEEP YOUR EYE OUT

FOR THE CAR THAT KILLED MY SON!

The Sheriff’s Office has identified the make and model of the suspect vehicle from the fatal hit and run crash that killed David “Davy” Egan, father of two, on Friday, June 22, 2018 on I-69 near S. Green River Road.

SUSPECT VEHICLE: Silver 1998-2002 Honda Accord sedan. 2-door or 4-door body style. The vehicle will have damage to the front end.

If you know of a vehicle matching this description, please contact the Sheriff's Office TIP line at 812-421-6297 or leave a web tip here.