1000 Cranes

When I was working as an art therapist, one of my colleagues (and occupational mother) told me that she once made 1000 origami cranes.   As memory serves me, she made them, over the course of a summer, as a gift for a foreign exchange student that stayed with her family.  At first I didn't really believe her. However, the more I got to know her and saw the determination and gumption she possessed I realized this woman folded 1000 paper cranes! One thousand. And then gave them away. (If that's not selflessness, then the concept has disappeared!)

I kept thinking about those cranes. The idea became more alluring the longer it stayed on my brain-to the extent that I knew I didn't have the control anymore to say no. What can I say, I'm a sucker for a challenge. And I'm selfish. Japanese legend promises any individual that folds one thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane. Cranes are viewed as a sacred animal and live for 1000 years. So, in a way, the crane will grant you a wish for its life. (Thank you Wikipedia. And no, I did not use Wikipedia as a source in Grad school.)

I know this will take a while. I'm sure some days I may make a small mountain of cranes and others I may make just one, but each day will bring me closer to that magic number. And so the counting begins....

My cranes kept me comfy on the couch for a few days.

3/25/14: 2
3/26/14: 23
3/27/14: 18
3/28/14: 9
3/29/14: 8

So at this point I have a total of 60.  Most of them are very traditional, but two of them were folded out of the paper with instructions on folding.  A little ironic maybe?  I hope so. I certainly don't know how long this process will take, but I can guarantee with each fold, my birdies will be get have a bigger piece of me.  And I swear, there will be more pictures once I get the hang of this whole bloggging thing!!! Pinkie swear.

3/30/14: 3
TOTAL: 63

The orange and peach birds where folded on my break sitting in my car.  It may sound pathetic, especially since it's a Sunday and this is my second job, but sometimes you do what you got to do when you need to experience a slice of beauty.  The yellow bird with writing I made later hanging out at my brother's place.  

I think deciding how to photograph to cranes for each day may be a process in itself.  

Warning: things may get a little silly in the future.