The tradition of giving a box of rocks or lumps of coal for Christmas was meant to be a punishment for misbehaving children, but when two young girls from Maryland sent a box of beautifully-painted rocks to the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office this week, it was a heartwarming occasion.
Sheriff Bobby Rader received a letter and package from “Your Friends in Maryland” that was signed by Heather Benson and her two daughters, Ella, 13, and Hannah, 4. Inside the box were 38 hand-painted rocks that say “Rock on! July 2018 Rocks for LCSO” on one side and “Thank you, BLUE” on the other side.
The letter told the sheriff that Benson and her children were praying for their safety and expressed support for the work that law enforcement officers do on a daily basis.
In the letter, Benson wrote, “In February 2018, I thought that I should Google small-town departments and see what I could come up with. I thought that it would be nice for them to know that they are thought of and appreciated, even from far away. As of today, July 30, including your department, we have handed out 1,721 rocks. Thank you for being part of this with us. Rock on!”
In return, the girls requested that the deputies and sheriff’s office employees who are given a rock send them a business card so they can put them in their memory box to read through them from time to time.
“With the strong support from families such as the Bensons and their young children being taught respect for the men and women who make up the thin blue line, then perhaps that thin blue line will only grow stronger as time goes by,” said Capt. Ken DeFoor, spokesperson for the sheriff’s office.
