I wonder how everyone is doing with their word for the year? It’s crazy how time seems to just fly by. It’s more than halfway through January already and so far being mindful has been a challenge but I’m not giving up. Failing, practicing, sometimes succeeding but not giving up. I have heard countless stories of success where a person just never gave up to then become or create something really amazing. I'm not going to give up, I will keep practicing. I’m not a worthless failure for not being a whiz at mindfulness. We don’t come out of the womb walking and talking, it takes time to develop these things.
In the meantime I have been folding cranes. Anyone who follows me on FB or IG is probably sick to death with the crane’s I post each day but there is something big behind the crane. I don’t know the ENTIRE history of 1,000 cranes, I looked it up on Wikipedia and got a general idea. But I’m not folding them to make 1,000 cranes. I may eventually get up to that many but my purpose has become more than that.
The purpose of folding cranes began when I just wanted to learn to fold a crane. I gave up so quickly 5 years or so ago when I folded my one and only crane and it was so hard and took me far too long. So I hung that origami crane folding art up. But then one afternoon while shopping at Daiso I was admiring the origami paper. I figured why not try one more time. I was way more patient this second attempt and didn’t give up until I found the perfect video to show me how it was done.
I have folded tons since I learned around the first week of January. I have even made garland to hang above our bed. I fold this paper and it calms me down, it takes my mind to important things. It has me think of friends and family who might be going through a particularly difficult time. I think of these people in my life and I pray for them, I write something specific for them on the flat sheet of paper then fold it into a crane. The crane represents peace. I like that. Sadly we have lost more people than I could have imagined this month and I have been able to fold cranes for those who have gone on. It’s healing this crane folding process.
I know I may seem obsessed. It's OK though because already, people have shared similar stories with me as I have been sharing these cranes. A mom told me her son folded cranes for a while and would leave them in the home of friends and family for them to find later. Another friend shared with me that she was folding 1,000 cranes and she also found comfort and dedicating them to those who had passed on. A few friends have shared how they had 1,000 cranes at their wedding. Or someone may just share a picture with me of the cranes they have in their home. A way to connect, that's what it has become for me.
