O is for Origami

Origami. From the combination of two Japanese words, Ori, meaning fold and Kami, meaning paper.

Folding perfectly square pieces of paper, lining up the edges and corners just so... it’s the perfect meditative activity for when you need to unwind.

And the crane! Oh the crane! The classic origami crane. I love this explanation of its signifigance:

“In Japan, the crane is a mystical creature and is believed to live for a thousand years.  As a result, in the Japanese, Chinese and Korean culture, the crane represents good fortune and longevity. The Japanese refer to the crane as the “bird of happiness”.  The wings of the crane were believed to carry souls up to paradise. Traditionally, it was believed that if one folded 1000 origami cranes, one’s wish would come true.  It has also become a symbol of hope and healing during challenging times.  As a result, it has become popular to fold 1000 cranes (in Japanese, called “senbazuru”)." Source here.

While I didn’t quite reach 1,000... I certainly found hope and comfort in folding these little guys. I highly recommend it if you are in need of a little TLC!

And, as we established back at the letter M, I do love a good theme. So let me start this photo gallery with... a haiku: :)