Cranes are revered in Japan as mystical creatures and are said to live for a thousand years. A thousand paper cranes are often given to wish for the recovery of a seriously ill person. In this moving video one woman with a traumatic past uses her fingers, eyes and heart to teach young people from difficult backgrounds the skill of origami so that like her they are able to make something beautiful. Though their scars do not go away in the process, they learn to use the lines of those scars to create something of beauty to share with others. She eloquently points out that one person cannot do it alone but with a collective effort, bit by bit, each person's potential for growth and hope can be realized.

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  • Joni Caldwell

    What it left me with was the sense of how many people can make a job so much easier

  • VINEET SINGH RANAWAT

    Am touched with the concept of a GIVER in her, which is in tune with Nature. Despite of a painful journey at beginning of life she became a contributor and inspires us to be one. Her message of taking collective approach towards upliftment of humanity is profound. Am trying my little bit under the banner of "Heartfulness" and urge all to try it out as it has helped me tremendously at no cost. With love to all my dear sisters and brothers. Thank you all

  • Mary Shapiro

    I lived in Inazawa-shi near Nagoya in 1990. Taught the students the story of Sadako (they hadn't heard it?!?) and together they made 1,000 cranes for me to take to the children's statue in the Peace Park in Hiroshima. This is a most beautiful film! The woman's words, the light, the children, the hands, the gentle transitions between images. Truly a work of art. Thank you very very much.

  • Michele Martin

    Universal humanity. Experiencing pain of all sorts. The desire to heal, move forward, connect, and transform challenging experiences into healing and creating beauty and love in each others lives. XO

  • Roxana Daly

    We can change our lives despite our own personal wounds, therefore, we can also change the lives of others by inspiring, modeling, giving the best of us..."little by little" one step, one path at a time.

  • Ahmed A I Abdulrasul

    What inspired you about this video?make something beautiful

  • Ahmed A I Abdulrasul

    nce i interested

  • Aliya

    The sharing of Culture with Universal Pain. How healing can be simple and collective with empathy. How community can come together for the good of all. Seems so simple but why the world fights or is easily distracted from this.

  • Mary Benischeck

    As an elementary school counselor I used origami to teach many different lessons. Patience, persistence cooperation awe. the power of one piece of paper. Thank you for this beautiful video and and to the beautiful woman who shares her talents.

  • Stephanie Nash

    I felt watching this was like a meditation. I was especially appreciative of how we each get one piece of paper, and every line can be used to create a new shape. Beautiful. Thank you for sharing.

  • Colleen

    It has taken many years to find the beauty of simplicity. This was a beautiful reminder and affirmation of the power of community.

  • Maitri NANCY

    I have beloved Japanese friends and I meditate and this seems a lovely meditation: unfoldment. And I live in New Mexico, US and this is whooping crane season when they move North. They are so high in the sky they are barely visible but can be heard. What a blessing!

  • CRW

    I love the overarching message of how we can work together, little by little, to collectively make our communities and our world better in welcoming all with their wounds, scars, and differences. Those creases in the paper can be transformed into something beautiful if we all work together.

  • Ardis

    I am a 54 year old woman who has scars from childhood, like the humble narrator. Good for her for seeing how to use those lines for good, and teach others to do the same through gentle wisdom. It is absolutely correct that we want to contribute, and lots of people doing a little is the key.

  • Michelle Heart

    The combined picture of Obama w the cranes made a lot of sense to me and to the children. I was disgusted by this person's 'painful memory'. Sometimes my mother made me clothing, but being the eldest of seven, we always had 'hand me downs'. My PT boss came from China also, and was chosen out of 10 children w her sister to go to school. She was very lucky, and I was blessed to meet her. She taught me and allowed me to teach her clinic bodywork and healing. There are many miracles, but to have the patience to create 1000 cranes is one of them.

  • Pat

    I love the thought of our scars or pain is included and even necessary to go forward in life.

  • Mom

    I love this video, the message is so perfect during our times of division

  • Judy

    Hope, collective effort, changing your life, love for others

  • erica

    I'm sure it's wonderful but the voice is so blurry that it's almost impossible to understand which tends to ruin everything.

  • Darlene Phoebe

    What a lovely video. The narrator was so beautiful and soothing.

  • Page 1

  • Watch this short video of how another woman made 1000 cranes and gave them to strangers to brighten their days. 
  • Read the story of Sadako's paper cranes and how she has become a universal inspiration toward peace. 
  • Make something beautiful today, a photo, a paper card, using whatever you have at hand, and give it to someone who can use a lift.

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