Activity time: 5 minutes

Say:

This moment, and the next, and the next are not repeated and not repeatable “nows” in your life journey. Each one is a particular moment on your timeline. Each “now” is also a moment on the four-and-a-half-billion-plus-year timeline of planet Earth. We are part of this ongoing narrative of the universe. A piece of that universe story is contained in each of your stones. The stones symbolically represent us and our process. They were once rocks, smoothed into stones as they tumbled and bumped together, then rested, and then moved along again via the stream and river waters that pushed them toward the sea. One touchstone has come to rest with you as a reminder of your journey to smooth the rough places. I invite you to inscribe your word of inner strength on your stone using a black marker, creating a personal touchstone. Carry your touchstone in your pocket, touching it and feeling its smoothness when you need to be reminded of your own strength and grounding.

Allow a few minutes for participants to inscribe their stones.