Hoping and wishing with cranes and more

I love student friends... such beautiful people. I know I've touched many children through the years but they've been darn impacting and special to me as well.
Yesterday I received a very large, light box. It was decorated outside with loving messages and stickers. I opened it and was astounded. Cranes. 1000. Cranes. A wish created and given to me by former students and parents from my old school in Oregon. Wow. I am overwhelmed. (If the beautiful people who made this are reading- thank you, thank you, thank you.)
It is said that friends or loved ones fold 1000 paper cranes to wish a person recovery or a wish for a long life... I have read and taught about the beautiful story of Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr. This book has inspired so many people through the years.

I feel a wish granted, you know? When do you feel that blessed and lucky? I'm so touched. There have been people who have taken action and reached out with words, time, gifts, energy, and so much more since last August (and many before with my other two cancer battles) and I'm feeling darn lucky and loved. I even received beautiful threaded cranes before from parents at my present school...


A few years ago I featured a former student who is running a program called Cranes of Hope in Oregon on my Styling Librarian blog. She's so inspiring. She is still collecting cranes from the mail, through workshops and more and delivering the cranes to oncology centers around Portland and Beaverton and giving hope to children and adults going through cancer treatment. Patients pick up a crane each time they go for treatment. Here's my blog feature from 2013 - featured in June, I was diagnosed with cervical cancer that fall...:
http://thestylinglibrarian.com/2013/01/15/styling-librarian-features-cranes-of-hope/
I've thought about Niasha's mission, focus, and beautiful actions through the years and even just last week was thinking that I should be keeping my hands busy by making cranes I could send to her and even lead a crane making workshop with students during lunch in the library. Never considered being the recipient...  And then I receive this gorgeous box of cranes. What a gift.  **Please consider following Niasha on Facebook- Cranes of Hope and making cranes for her. It's a powerful mission she's accomplishing with many supporters... See links and such on the blog post above.

Today I brought my son to Sunday school and a former student (I helped there for first two years in Hong Kong but resigned this year since I had operations/chemo+ and no clue what I could handle) came over to me. "Debbie. I would like to help. I have the healing touch. Have you heard of Reiki?" (So my former students heard about this round, I kept things very quiet with the other two...) I said "That's very sweet, thank you. Yes I have heard of it..." For the whole community service she had her hands on my shoulders sharing her energy and hope with me. Beautiful. Touched. So sweet. And I did feel warmth, energy and was quite grateful. A 12 year old sharing her energy...

So. I'm ending the weekend a little tired after being out most of the day today visiting with friends, hanging out with my son, shopping at bookstores, launching a new book program for kids here in Hong Kong... but so invigorated and restored at the same time... Work/CT/MRI tomorrow. Will push through. I have a good audiobook to help me with the walks to the hospital along with a lovely friend who has offered to walk with me on some days... again, touched.

Thanks for journeying with me all...