When I first read the story of the wishing rock in a small journal of the San Juan Islands (around 1983) I thought it was a cool local myth. “A wishing rock is any stone found on the beach that is completely encircled by a ring. The ring must not be broken or the wish won’t come true.” Peggy Sue McRae
The story goes that one is to stand at the shore, facing away from the water, and toss the selected stone back over your shoulder as you make a wish. Long ago I gave up on turning my back to the ocean — in part because I want to see it — but also because it was very easy to lose my balance and tumble backwards into the water! Not what I wished for!!!
One year, while I explored the shoreline near Doughty Point (north of Beach Haven on Orcas Island) I came upon the biggest wishing rock I’d ever seen. How many desires and aspirations might there be in this magnificent boulder? Maybe enough to quiet a village or sooth a civilization.
Since reading the legend, Creighton and I have made a ritual of tossing a wish rock into the surf before our journey home. It is like saying a prayer.
Lindy Low LeCoq 
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That is such an interesting ritual, throwing the rock with your back facing the water. Good to hear you haven’t fallen in…I’m very, very klutzy and probably would have fared off much worse than you 😀 That is a massive wishing rock and it must have wishes and good luck for every single one of us in this world. Hope you made a wish… 😀
Oh, yes, I make wishes for the world and for loved ones! Thanks for commenting, Mabel!
Very interesting story. The stones are so beautiful that I wouldn’t throw them, even though I had a lot of wishes 🙂
Every year I bring a few back home — they are in jars and dishes, around the yard and each is unique. There are so many on this pebble beach, it is hard to decide which to chose as your special wish rock!
this pebble beach seems to be a very interesting place. I love to collect things at the beach, glass, shells etc. 🙂
I love that idea and will definitely give it a try altho we get very few rocks on our beach. I love the 3-rock shot, it’s perfect Lindy!
Longbeach is all sand, so I brought a few wish rocks out here to have — just in case! Thanks for the compliment, Tina.
Cool thing to do! Just make sure that there isn’t anyone walking behind you! 🙂
They’d be walking in (or on!) the water at Beach Haven!
Interesting!
Thanks, Rupali!
A beautiful rock phenomena with such an interesting myth to go with it.
Thank you, Janice. I love your poetry — always helps me keep in focus!