I have enough for my first string. From what I have read, the tradition is to make 25 strings of 40 cranes each. I have started putting them into one of my clear glass bowls as I finish each one. The thought is to stop at every 40 and string them. By Christmas, I want to have all 25 strings completed and hang them in the front window, much like the ones I saw in Missoula on the magical December night with my sister.

And,it seems, this is more than just a project for me. It doesn’t just fill some time on a Sunday afternoon. My spirit is calmed and filled at once. I can only imagine that as I move through this process, I will come to find some deeper places of peace in me that I have not visited in a long time.