For as long as I can remember, I've loved paper. From writing to origami, and even kirigami, there's something so precious and inspiring about a blank sheet of paper.
It's been a while since I've done origami. In my grade school days, I kept an inventory of origami creations because my classmates would make request me to fold things for them. "What can you make?" they'd ask. I would present them with my list of creations in a Spottie Dottie memo book and watch as their faces lit up. "An origami scorpion?? And peacock!" Sometimes I would be tempted to charge them a quarter or something for my time and labor, but in the end, I was always just satisfied with their awestruck reactions. Recently I dabbled with origami here and there for geometry classes or to add some pizazz to a holiday card, but I haven't really taken the time to appreciate its value.
Until I read a Facebook note that my roommate Lauren posted. Lauren is the nicest, sweetest, most understanding, and easygoing roommate ever. Her family is going through a really hard time right now, and this is the least I can do to comfort and support them.
A message from Lauren:
I don't think I could write this as eloquently as my brother has in his blog from Mozambique, and I think Hope, Prayer, and Faith is needed now more than ever in this coming week for our uncle and dear friend, so here is my request in his words:
Every night before I go to sleep I pray for a bunch of my friends and family, nothing really in particular or formalized, more of a shout out I guess. One of those people is Uncle Carey. Though he isn’t biologically so, I say uncle because that's what we call everyone in Hawaii. I guess it's because of the pretty high odds we are actually related.
Anyway, he’s recovering from a lung transplant, which he underwent about year ago to treat the Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis that he’d been diagnosed with. He’s had a few complications with it over the past year because of his reduced immune system. He’s been sedated this week and we are all concerned.
His family thought a great way to express their love for him would be to fold 1,001 origami cranes. They’ve asked family and friends to send them in, so that he can see how much everyone cares about him and sort of help his recovery. The significance of 1,000 cranes originally comes from Sadako Sasaki, a young girl from Hiroshima, who suffered from radiation sickness as a result of the atomic bomb. She and her family folded the cranes to help her recovery. She died from the radiation, but the tradition stuck. The extra one is a Hawaiian Japanese twist on the tradition, because we figure we could use the extra luck.
One of the things I’m learning is that it’s in human nature to give and to help. We just don’t always let our guards down enough to ask for it from others, even when it’s needed. So I guess I’m asking you for some now. I know you’re busy, so no worries if you don’t have time, but if you do have the time to fold a paper crane, please mail it to his wife:
Liz Kunimoto
GOL Transplant House 2
724 Second St SW #140
Rochester, MN 55902.
Folding a crane is pretty easy and a standard for beginners. In this case, you don't have to expand the wings as shown in the final diagram. You can leave it the way it is in Step 15 so it is flat and easier to mail.
Once you get the hang of it, you won't be able to stop!
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