In the past 24 years of my life, I’ve observed a number of
catastrophic events: Hurricane Katrina, Haiti, and September 11th,
to name a few. Full article
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In the past 24 years of my life, I’ve observed a number of catastrophic events: Hurricane Katrina, Haiti, and September 11th, to name a few. I vividly remember the Red Cross commercials calling for help, the never-ending footage airing nightly and standing in line to donate necessary items – money, blood, anything they needed. Each time I thought, why did and how could this happen? I felt for those countless people we saw being interviewed, telling their own stories; I could sympathize but never truly relate.
But then it happened here. On March 11, the fourth largest earthquake in recorded history struck on the eastern coast of Japan, the epicenter a mere 180 miles away from where I live in Gilroy’s sister city, Takko-Machi. We were lucky to be spared from the worst of the devastating damage left by the earthquake and following tsunami, but only 45 minutes had passed before I received the first message from a concerned Gilroyan. It wasn’t until two days later that I could check and respond to it and the countless other messages that had been left by anxious friends and loved ones. The first question I would always get after I assured them that all was well here was, “Is there anything I can do or send that would help”?
This got me thinking. What could be done to help besides donating the necessary items, money, blood, etc? I understood that people in Gilroy are feeling a bit helpless. Of course making donations is a wonderfully gracious act and is definitely beneficial, but there are so many Gilroyans that have made some close and personal relationships with not only people in Takko, but throughout Japan. And it goes without saying that I understand what a special place Japan can make in a person’s heart.
After a two-week hiatus following the earthquake, my weekly eikaiwa (English conversation) class finally reunited. We spent a few minutes sharing our earthquake experiences, but it all added up the same: long, terrifying, and unbelievable. I wasted no time proposing my idea: the Paper Crane Project. As a class, we would translate the directions to fold a paper crane into English, practice reading our instructions, and then put it all together to make an instructional video for our friends in Gilroy. Everyone was immediately on board.
The art of origami, paper folding, has been an important aspect of the Japanese culture for several hundred years. The origami crane in particular carries a lot of significance. It is a powerful symbol for hope, wishes, and healing. The belief is that if a person makes 1,000 cranes, whatever he or she is wishing for will come true. But whether it’s one, five or a thousand, the act of folding the origami crane holds considerable meaning to the Japanese people.
So here is our request: using our video, try your hand at folding an origami crane. You can fold one or get a group together to tackle the 1,000-crane challenge. Display your cranes as a reminder to continue keeping the people of Japan in your thoughts. It has been nearly a month, but the road to recovery is a long one.
Everyone here in Takko, especially our eikaiwa class would love to see your work! Find the “Takko-Machi, Japan” page and feel free to post photos of your completed cranes. Want to see some fruits come of your labor? For every paper crane that OshKosh receives, they will donate an article of clothing to the children in Japan affected by the disaster. For details, visit your local OshKosh store (there’s one in the Gilroy Premium Outlets) or visit them online at www.carters.com/Cranes-For-Kids/cranes-for-kids,default,pg.html.
As always, thank you for keeping the people of Takko-Machi and all of Japan in your thoughts. We continue to be forever grateful for our dear friends from our beloved sister city, Gilroy.
So without further ado, the Paper Crane Project is on! Ready, set, FOLD!
