Why 1000 Paper Cranes?
An ancient Japanese legend promises that anyone who folds 1000 paper cranes will be granted a wish by a crane - such as a long life or recovery from an illness or injury.
I have always loved this legend and after reading the story "Sadako and the Thousand Cranes" - I was inspired to fold 1000 paper cranes. The story is about a young girl - Sadako Saski. She was exposed to radiation when the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima during WWII. She was two years old at the time. She later developed leukemia and began folding origami cranes in the hopes that her wish to get well would come true. Sadako's story did not have a happy ending - but her goal to fold 1000 cranes has made the crane a symbol of world peace.
So I folded my 1000 cranes . . . I strung them all together - and love how they look and the legend behind them. I can't help but think of Sadako when I look at them. But then what . . . ? Why not fold 1000 more - but do something different with them this time. So I decided to start this blog . . . combine my love or origami, quotes, and my belief that faith and attitude can get a person through just about anything . . . and leave my cranes around for other people to find.
My Project
On each crane I will write a quote - and the link to this blog. I will leave the cranes at various places. Since I don't travel very often or very far - most of the cranes will start off in California. I would like to place all of the cranes myself. I am hoping that that I have the opportunity to place some further away from where I live and that some travel far from where they are first placed. I am also hoping to hear from people who find the cranes - and find out where they end up. Le's see what happens.
My friend Jeff just suffered an enormous injury to his back after chasing the guy who stole his car please dedicate one of ur cranes to Jeff Stubblefield Fresno CA. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteOf course! I will keep him in my prayers also.
DeleteI just discovered your project today; I love it! It is true karma that I found it today, June 11, exactly thirty years after one of my amazing fourth-grade students, Aaron, passed away. During the school year, we read Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. Our class successfully worked together to create a thousand cranes. Aaron had been known to fold cranes whenever he had free time. He would make crane families. He attempted to make his cranes with smaller and smaller pieces of paper. His determination and joy inspired us all. When he died, we took our strung up cranes from our classroom and presented them to his family at their home, they were present at his funeral, and they were hung in the young maple tree by his graveside. Thirty years later, it is known that Aaron has been visited because there are always new cranes colorfully adorning his tree. Bless you for this project.
ReplyDeleteI've been following your project for quite a while now and I just wanted to tell you that it's truly inspirational. I've recently moved to a new city and I'm thinking of doing a project like this. Thank you for inspiring me
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for letting me know. It is a fun project . . . although it has taken me much longer to complete the project than I had anticipated. I do believe once I am finished I will start another 1000 cranes. Good Luck if you start your project. If you do let me know so I can follow your progress.
DeleteIt can be very addictive . . . I don't think I will ever stop folding them. I am trying to come up with ideas for another project when I finally finish this one.
ReplyDeleteHi. I have just started folding my first batch of a thousand cranes. I found your blog while doing some research on senbazuru, about the types of people who've been finished making a thousand, their motivations, their story. I was really inspired by your 1000 cranes project. I was diagnosed to have atrial, mitral and pulmunary regurgitation (and possible/ secondary to rheumatic heart disease). Since then, to distract myself from anxiety of having these diagnoses, I planned to do some origami, remembered a classmate who told me that if you've finished folding a thousand paper cranes, a wish will be granted to you. That started me to do a senbazuru project.
ReplyDeleteAs I browsed through your site, I am inspired to do the same. I am travelling for work and my workbase is in a hospital. You gave an idea that instead of just hanging my work, inspire more people. Thanks so much.
Btw, I reside in the Philippines. I wished I have found one of your cranes when I visited the States last year.
DeleteAs for a little variation, I started folding a crane-in-a-heart origami. That way, I could relate it to myself, having a heart condition physically and being a brokenhearted these days.
Again, thank you very much for giving inspiration and I hope that my first crane would take off soon and our cranes would reach those who needs a little push in life.