1000 Paper Cranes in Less Than a Year
There is a Japanese tradition that if you make one thousand paper cranes, you will be granted a wish. One of the most famous stories regarding this tradition had to do with a girl who was sick with cancer, who began her quest in the hope of prolonging her life. While she never did make it to a thousand, people brought paper cranes from all over the world and there is now a monument in her honor.
Today the making of a thousand cranes has been a symbol of good luck and fortune, and is sometimes done for celebrations such as weddings. With that in mind, and with a dwindling budget for decorations, I have embarked upon the journey of assembling one thousand paper cranes for our own wedding.
What I originally saw as a daunting, impossible task (which was definitely part of its appeal, and my infuriating pathology) has since become something manageable and somewhat enjoyable. At last count we had about six hundred made, and will hopefully be finished by the end of February.
Suzie first taught me how to make an origami crane many years ago on one of our trips to New York City. We sat at a table in the hotel room folding paper and talking. (I don’t know if it was the same trip where she had the peach ice cream that apparently no longer exists in New York outside of Chinatown.)
It had been years since I made a paper crane, so I had to go online for a visual tutorial. This was nothing like riding a bike, and it took a few tries before I could figure it out again, but now they’re speeding along, filling the guest room with their colorful plumage.
