The Strength of a Thousand Wishes

I was sitting here earlier today being really annoyed by something trivial, something that isn't that unusual in these days when only that tiny little estrogen pill stands between me and mass murder, when I read a post by the list mom of one of my Yahoo groups. In the post, Stacie told us that a fellow member of the group is gravely ill, in an ICU waiting for a liver transplant that may or may not come in time.

Well, didn't that reduce my troubles to the significance of dust motes in the air! We all have our illnesses and ways in which we are not as strong as we'd like, but to be laid up in an Intensive Care Unit because a vital organ has stopped working at age 38 is pretty tough. I bitch, moan, and complain about all sorts of things but I don't think Stacey is laying there bemoaning her fate. I think she is trying to keep going with a body that doesn't want to fight anymore. And I agree with Julee and Stacie (list mom) that maybe a project like this could lift Stacey's spirits enough to help her to continue to fight.

What we are doing is trying to make 1000 cranes.

Ancient Japanese legend tells us that there is a power to 1000 cranes. Senbazuru. There is also a popular urban legend sort of story - one that is true! - about a girl named Sadako Sasaki who contracted leukemia as a child as a result of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and began to fold 1000 cranes while she was dying in the hospital. It is believed that anyone who folds 1000 cranes is granted a wish. You can check out this story on Wikipedia.

If we fold 1000 cranes for Stacey, maybe a compatible liver will be found for her and she will survive. That is our wish, that Stacey survives this.

Julee has set up a blog here to tell the story of our effort. If you have a few sheets of paper, an envelope, a stamp, and just a little time, you can help us achieve this goal. You can go here for step by step instructions (hey these are not correct! but if you give them a read through you can watch the video and get it right andunderstand better what to do) on how to fold a crane. Or go here for video instructions. I like the video instructions a little better and am trying those next.

Please help us send the strength of a thousand wishes to Stacey for her recovery.