The Promise of Peace

My tat was inspired by the 1000 cranes story. Traditionally if a person folded 1000 cranes, then the ancient ones would grant that person a wish. It was thought that if the person was patient and driven enough to fold 1000 cranes, then she was deserving of such a wish. Families also folded 1000 cranes for weddings to bless newly joined couples. A crane is known for its fidelity, its loyalty to its partner.

More recently, the 1000 cranes tradition entered the international consciousness because of the story of a Japanese girl named Sadako who got sick with Leukemia caused by the radiation from Hiroshima. Sadako was hospitalized when she was 12 and a friend brought her a folded crane and told her of the tradition. Sadako started folding and had folded well over 1000 cranes wishing for peace in the world. When she died, she was buried with those cranes and a monument was erected in her honor with "This is our cry, this is our prayer, peace in the world" etched at the bottom. So in additional to the traditional meaning, they are now a universal symbol for peace.

It was because of these connections with all those symbols that my husband folded 500 cranes for me when we married in 2001. He told me he would give me 10 more each wedding anniversary until we reached our 50th year when the 1000 cranes would finally be completed. We joined the Peace Corps just after we got married, which meant that the peace connotation of the 1000 cranes was just as important to us.

With our separation in 2006, I folded my own 1000 cranes and
essentially reminded myself, with my wish, that I was okay on my own.

So I wanted to remember that with a tat. I asked Susan Behney, a
tattoo artist based in Washington DC at Jinxproof Tattoos, if she could combine a design with origami cranes, cherry blossoms (for DC) and a moon (for guidance). She did. This is the result.

Julie Hochgesang