Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.

Imagery and symbols, Part 2 ( Part 1 was yesterday)

Just before you think I'm going to go totally philosophical and worthy and that you might need a sick bag...

“How come the dove gets to be the peace symbol? How about the pillow? It has more feathers than the dove, and it doesn't have that dangerous beak” - with thanks to Jack Handy.

ANYWAY...thinking about love-padlocks and bridges reminded me of peace cranes. Yes I know, my mind works in mysterious ways.  

By Amory Abbot

The story is of a young Japanese girl, Sadako Sasaki , who was two years old when the bomb fell on Hiroshima.  She was blown out of the window by the blast and survived that but went on to develop leukemia a few years later. A friend visited her in hospital and folded an origami crane for her - the legend being that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by the gods. It is said that Sadako managed to fold 644 before she died, age 12.

Here's how:  

It seems very  presumptuous of me to relate anything in my little existence to such profound happenings, but about ten years ago my life had fallen to pieces entirely through my own fault and I had made myself ill with it all. Nearing the end of a long road to recovery, I wanted to perform some sort of symbolic act to somehow mark an end to it all.

I made ten origami cranes (not a thousand...even ten took me forever!) took them up to London and dropped them, one by one, off the exact middle of Tower Bridge and watched them float away down the Thames until they'd disappeared from view.

I honestly think it helped me to find a little peace within me.