A Better Way Earth

There is an ancient belief in Japan that says if you fold 1,000 paper cranes while concentrating on one wish, your wish will come true.  But who can afford the expensive origami paper for 1,000 paper cranes?  I wanted to see if the myth was real and since my grandson was just beginning middle school, I wanted to wish for his safety in navigating the scary and miserable middle school years.  I took my stack of magazines and catalogs, even some advertisements and cut them into 5x5 squares.  However, folding paper cranes was not easy.  It took more than a few tries to get it just right, but once you get it, the process is simple and relaxing.  http://www.origami-fun.com/origami-crane.html

I folded 1,023 paper cranes.  It cost me nothing.  Not a cent.  Some I stapled to string and hung from my porch creating a horizontal curtain that made the birds fly in the wind.  Neighbors commented on how interesting it was and I enjoyed the constant movement of a ‘living’ curtain.  I took a box of paper cranes to a nearby nursing home and placed one on each lunch tray for no special reason.  It was a fun way to let the residents know they were not forgotten.  Other cranes were tucked away in my handbag and I gave them out randomly to a child who was fidgeting in line at the grocery store, a clerk who was kind to me, and the order taker at a fast food restaurant. Each little paper crane brought smiles and delight to the recipients. 

It was a wonderful feeling to bring joy on an ordinary day to so many people, simply by folding a crane out of paper.  And my wish came true.  My grandson started high school this year, after successfully making it through middle school in his full, upright position!