Cranes are up! Thanks everyone!

[f h]

Hello everyone,

With the help of Pat, Tim, and Chinh, we successfully installed the remaining cranes yesterday after the noon sit. All 1,000 cranes are now twirling in the wind. They are truly a sight to behold! Many many thanks to everyone who participated, from donating paper, to folding cranes, stringing, and finally hanging them! The tree is incredibly beautiful! If you have a chance to visit today, you can experience for yourself the magical wonderland we created. With paper, string and our intentions of peace, we created a bright little world. A sanctuary for peace. 

I stopped by this morning and all the cranes are still there. I wonder what it must have been like for people to exit the BART station on the way to work and to come across the sudden display of color. Throughout the project, many people from different walks of life stopped by to inquire, participate, and thank us for our meditation practice and for the public art. I have collected many touching stories of people who have been moved by our cranes! For example. during the early crane days (when the encampment was still in the plaza), one of the medics stopped by to tell us that she loved standing under the 50 "ancestor cranes" that we had initially put up (these are the ones that survived the 1st police raid). She said she felt like she was suddenly transported into a different space, and felt a sense of serenity and peace. There are many more stories like hers! All of this is to say that our efforts have been received by many!

It has been a great joy working with you all and meeting so many people who are invested in creating spaces of peace and beauty. Your efforts at mindfulness are inspiring! They were best reflected in the faces of the children who stopped by the tree and admired the cranes with amazement and joy. 

Attached are a few pictures! Please reward yourselves with a mini excursion to see our cranes. Words cannot describe the beauty of what we've created. These pictures capture the color, but not the feeling. You must experience it in person for the full effect. :)

Thank you for inspiring me!

With metta,

funie :)