Last year, the employees where I work set out to fold 1000 paper cranes for an injured co-worker and friend. We strung them on strings and hung them in the front window to make them easier to count. When our friend died, the cranes became a gift for his family, instead. During the troubling days leading up to his death, my co-workers and I began to realize how calming it was to fold crane after crane. It became a comforting activity. And the cranes looked beautiful slowly spinning on their strings.
Later, I made some cranes of my own at home and ran a thread through them. They’re now hanging in front of a window in Samuel’s room. Even the slightest air current catches their wings and slowly turns them around. It’s also fun to twist the bottom of the string and get them spinning faster. Sam loves to watch them moving in the sunlight. It’s a perfect mobile!
So now I’m working on another origami mobile using patterns from this book:
So far, I’ve finished only a couple of fish and dragonflies. I’m folding them out of the paper that some of Sam’s baby gifts were wrapped in, including pieces cut from gift bags. This would also be a fun thing to do with an older child after a special birthday. All it takes is a decent-sized square from each paper. It’s a good way to reuse the paper and remember the kindness of those who gave the gifts. I’ll post a photo as soon as it’s finished.
One Comment
Melita, you make the rest of us look like underachievers!