ELEVEN/ELEVEN

Ana Maria – Washington DC

One year ago, I started this project not knowing what would come of it. It started as a simple goal to make 1000 cranes that were placed in different places or given to different people by today, 11/11/11. Well, today is the day and I have only made 409 cranes.

However, in the past year this project has evolved into something bigger than that. Each crane I place or give to someone takes on a different and individual path. Each with its own story. The connections I have made with friends, family, and strangers now define this project. It has inspired me to continue making the paper cranes for many more 11/11′s.

Here are eleven reasons and eleven cranes I would like to highlight from the past year that embody what this Eleven/Eleven project has evolved into over the past year.

1. Hope for those living strong.

No. 031 Erin McCue – New York, NY 
Erin found me through a friend of mine, Toni Wasylsk. I have never met her, but she was one of the first to share her own experiences with cancer in her family.
“My mother is in remission from thyroid cancer, my grandmother is in remission from breast cancer, and my grandfather from prostate cancer. I love your message of hope and will definitely pass this along.”

2. Hope that can teach and inspire.

No. 048 David Stuckey – Washington, DC
“It has always been my ‘hope’ to live off my writings the way I wanted to without compromise. And through my writings my ‘hope’ has always been to take people to places they have never been and let them meet people they have never interacted with and teach them things through prose.”

3. Hope that is there when we need it the most.

No. 057 Helen Hartman – Reading, PA
“My mom couldn’t decide where to photograph her crane – she had it in flowers and trees and all over, and for the time it was living on a shelf in our kitchen. So after Grandpop passed, I had to walk over to my house to get something. I saw the crane and put it in my pocket, figured I could take some hope back with me. When I went to put my coat down on my grandmom’s bed, I saw the picture of them and knew that this is where the crane should live. Grandmom knew all about eleven/eleven from my mom sharing it and now she has a little extra hope with her.” – Lesley Hartman, 12/26/2010

4. Hope that creates new connections with new people.

No. 061 Butter (Brian Thomas) – Brooklyn, NY
Butter is the creator and the brains behind The Mixtape Club: an organization dedicated to the art of the mixtape, ten people, ten tracks, ten album covers. In December he asked me to be a part of one of the sessions and soon after I participated in his project, I sent him a crane to be a part of Eleven/Eleven. His mother passed away only a few months before mine and this crane lives in loving memory.

5. Hope that is humble.

No. 063 Alyson Rhodes – Pittsburgh, PA (through Allison)
Alyson found me through my friend, Allison Berger. Allison has shared my project with many people who have reached out to me for a paper crane and it is through that network that I am lucky to make such connections as this one.
“I could have lost my mother to cancer when I was an early teenager, and I’m eternally grateful it was caught in time & it never came to that…My crane is living at my desk on the 38th floor of the US Steel Tower in Pittsburgh. Here it is enjoying the lovely view.”

6. Hope that lets us share our stories.

No. 066 Mike Hromchak – Silver Spring, MD (also through Allison Berger)
Mike was my first email request, and him being so close in Silver Spring, I asked him if he would prefer we meet in person. I am thankful to have met Mike and have him share his story about his Grandmother. It just shows how much this personal project is not just about my quest for hope but sharing that with people and allowing the project to grow beyond any of my expectations.
“Your story resonates with me on a personal level; my grandmother has about 4-6 months to live, optimistically. She was diagnosed with small cell carcinoma in August and since then it’s been this…weird waiting game. I’m not sure how to feel about the whole thing (other than bummed), but I feel like what you said about hope is important to remember when you’re faced with a situation that seems utterly hopeless. I’d like to think the crane will be a little reminder to keep my chin up, even when skies aren’t clear and blue. I think the way in which you’ve chosen to honor your mother is very sweet, and I wish you all the best luck as you set out to complete this project!”

7. Hope as a reminder.

No. 068 Rich Coleman – Henderson, NV
“I just checked out this 11/11 project you’re doing for your mom and I think it’s a fantastic tribute. My mom died of cancer when I was 8 and over time I realized how important it is to have something to remind me of her, whether it’s a picture of her, her journals she left me or records of her favorite bands. I’d love to get a crane and help out in any way possible.”

8. Hope for the children.

No. 069 Molly McInnis – Harrisburg, PA
“I work as a nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Hershey Medical Center. It’s not generally as depressing as it sounds – manyof the babies just decided to come out a too early and need to mature under watchful eyes. However, other cases are much more serious and despite everything we can do for them, they still don’t make it. Your project touched me so much because of the relationship between and a mother and her child…”

9. Hope that guides our sadness to happiness in the form of a smile.

No. 098 Lainey Lee – Winston Salem, NC
“I understand how hard it is to think of being hopeful in the face of a great loss in your life. My father passed away when I was 10 in an airplane crash. When I think about him I can’t help to be sad at the thought of him not being around anymore, but I know he would never want me to be sad for him but to remember him with a smile. He had always said that he wanted to come back in his next life as a bird, so every time I see one of your cranes I think of him and smile.”

10. Hope that stands the test of time.

No. 123 Donald Norwood – Lanier Heights, Washington DC
“I gave beautiful, red, crane #123 to my Dad on Valentines Day. He died of cancer on Dec 1 1988. I was 26 years old. Even after so much time I think of him just about every day. It took a while, but now instead of his illness and death, I mostly remember him as the healthy, talented and fun loving guy that I loved. I hope the same for you.”

11. Hope for our friends.

No. 278 For a good friend of a friend – Lemoyne, PA
“A good friend of mine just lost her mother to cancer two weeks ago. It was really sudden and it was also the week of her 21st birthday…I’m sending her a letter even though i have no idea where to begin… i was hoping i could put a crane in the envelope…”

Donating to the project will help to support spreading hope to as many people as possible. It will help the project continue to grow and put cranes in as many places as possible. By making a minimum donation of $1 (for a sticker) or $2 (for a button and sticker), you will cover the cost of producing and shipping the buttons, stickers, and cranes. There will be a limited amount of 1000 stickers and 1000 buttons distributed in addition to the 1000 paper cranes I will be continuing to make.

The donations are managed securely through paypal. You will be able to put in your shipping address and any special instructions. If you have not received a paper crane yet and would like to request one you can do so when donating or just by emailing me.

Everyone who buys a sticker or button, requests a crane, or tells people about Eleven/Eleven is helping the project and I THANK YOU for all of your support.

In the month of November I have been busy making cranes in preparation for 11/11/11. Along with me the following people will be placing 11 cranes, amongst other placings & recipients of paper cranes.

No. 311 – 321 Jennifer Snyder – from Washington DC to South Dakota

No. 336 – 346 Caitlin Martin – Cumberland, Rhode Island

No. 355 – 365 An Ly & Dickie Halverson – from Washington DC to Virginia and Philadelphia.

No. 377 – 387 Soung Wiser – From Washington DC to Florida

No. 388 – 398 Sarah Porter – From Rhode Island to Massachusettes

No. 399 – 409 Today I decided to bring Eleven cranes to the Korean War Memorial, in conjunction with my own Eleven/Eleven project & Veterans Day.

I sent my sister (Sarah), who has an integral part in inspiring this Eleven/Eleven project, eleven cranes to place on this day with me. She is now living in Rhode Island and even though we couldn’t be together on this day of 11/11/11, we were at least able to share in the experience of placing paper cranes for our mother.

No. 388 Fall River Heritage Park , MA

No. 389 John T. Medeiros Memorial in Fall River Heritage Park, MA

“Just wanted to let you know that on 11/11/11, I found crane 381/1000 on the sidewalk outside the museum where I work (in Islamorada, Florida). It had been a pretty bad day, and I couldn’t believe my luck in finding the beautiful crane. As random as it was to come across it, at the same time it made perfect sense.” -Erin, Islamorada, FL

Soung Wiser, my cousin who has been with me through the past 2 years of 11/11′s was venturing to Florida for a friend’s wedding that would take place on the lucky day 11/11/11. I made her Eleven cranes to take along for the trip…

Islamorada, FL 11/11/11
“David and I started the day by walking about 5 miles up and down Overseas Hwy/US-1 and ended the day at a wedding. Pretty interesting the things you notice when looking for places to place cranes. 11 people I wanted to give a shout out to in celebration of the day…”
1. Daniel Reinhard
2. Katrina Helwig
3. Claire Rudholm
4. Joe Hernandez
5. Don Bachelier
6. Christine Cushman Novara
7. Vincent Macdonnell (for Kate)
8. Basil (for David)
9. John Brady (for Joanna),
10. Alice Hooper (for Ben)
11. Myong Porter

No.377

No.378

No. 379

No.380

No.381

No.382

No.383

No.384

No.385

No. 386

No.387

The power of 3

No. 376 Tyler Orton – Vienna, VA

No. 372 Hannah Hudson – Takoma Park, MD

No. 368 – 370 Aunt Brenda Desper – Cumberland, RI

One for my Aunt and 2 to be sent to Maine.

3 more cranes placed by Greg Cambell on his travels.

No. 323 Union Square – San Francisco, CA

No. 324 At Halu, a Japanese noodle restaurant in San Fran’s Inner Richmond district

No. 325 
coming soon

Metro Station – Dupont Circle, DC

Jennifer Snyder had requested a few cranes to take with her on a trip home to South Dakota. With it being the week of Eleven/Eleven, I decided to give her Eleven cranes for her journey. Along with her husband, Michael Pahn, they left the cranes in some wonderful places along with passing them onto some friends.

No. 311 National Music Museum – Vermillion, SD
“Left in the purple mums at the base of Immigrant Violinist sculpture which greets visitors in front of the museum.”

No. 313 Queen City Bakery – Sioux Falls, SD
“As we were checking out I noticed there were 3 paper cranes on the register. I asked the cashier if I could leave an eleveneleven crane wither her brood and she was super enthusiastic — turns out she LOVES origami and was super into your project. She puffed out the yellow cranes body so it’d sit right with the others. The other cranes were made by local artist Reina Okawa for the bakery.”

No. 316 “Varietate Concordia” - Falls Park, Sioux Falls, SD
Crane No. 316 is another testament to how this project continues to amaze me…

No.315 & 317 Robin 
“Jennifer Snyder gave me cranes 315 and 317 to take with me on my Thanksgiving trip home to Louisiana/Texas.”
Crane #315 (with goose) is located in Waksom, TX.
Crane #317 (on bird feeder) is located in Shreveport, LA.

No.320 Bettina – Silver Spring, MD
“I work with Jennifer Snyder who told me about your project and gave me one of your cranes. I put it in a pretty tree near my apartment in Silver Spring. I think this is a beautiful thing you are doing and I look forward to watching it grow.”

No.321 Gaithersburg, MD
“Crane 321 will live on my tiny silver tinsel tree this year as a reminder of those happy Christmases of my youth. It will also be there in remembrance of those family and friends who’ve passed on. But maybe, most importantly, it will be there as a symbol of hope in the coming year for everyone that enters our home.” -Jennifer

No. 308 Sean McCormick – Edina, MN

Sean is a photographer that I met doing work with The General Design Company. I recently came across his tumblr after a twitter reply to find out he was diagnosed with cancer last month. I admired his candor about the start of his process and immediately contacted him to send a paper crane of Hope.

Read more from his blog below:

Diagnosis and Treatment, No. 1 >>  

“On October 1st, I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.  On October 11th, I started chemotherapy.  My world went from busy to surreal, from surreal to very real. It’s a fairly rare form of the disease and the numbers are average, but math was never my strong subject.  So piss on the numbers.  I’ve decided to try and do what I do best, or at least fairly well.  Photograph the treatment process.  Not every post will have the look of these, they simply reflect what I felt at the time, uncertainly, boredom, and a certain amount of fear.  This is not a private thing or else why would I be posting it here? Cancer casts a wide net, and I have found this to be extremely helpful.  I have the most magnificent family and friends a man can ask for.  Thanks.” – Sean

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waiting for pics

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No. 307 Glory – Washington, DC

Thank you to my friend, Greg Cambell for being a supporter of the project and his contribution, he requested six cranes to place in six special places around DC & on his travels.

No. 301 Glover Park at 35th St & Whitehaven Parkway, Washington DC

No. 302 Rock Creek Park, Washington DC

No. 303 “This is Holy Cross Hospital. My dad is there. Now he has a paper crane helping with his recovery.” -Greg

No. 304 Salt Lake City, UT

No. 305 Gallivan Center in downtown Salt Lake City

No. 306 Bountiful, UT

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waiting for pics

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No. 300 Rachel – Chicago, IL

Today I placed these green cranes at the U.S. National Arboretum, another beautiful place in DC that I would have loved to take my mom.

No. 287 Sandstone Sculptures

No. 288 Youth Garden

No. 289 China Valley

No. 290 Asia Valley

No. 291 Japanese Woodlands

No. 292 Korean Hillside

No. 293 National Capital Columns – 22 of 24 sandstone Corinthian columns that once stood at the east portico of the US Capitol completed in 1826

No. 294 National Bonsai + Penjing Museum

No. 295 Bonsai Garden

No. 296 Kato Stroll Garden – Dedicated to the Kato Family, 5 generations of Bonsai Masters

No. 297 National Herb Garden – includes 800 kinds of herbs

No. 298 Arbor House

No. 299 Friendship Garden – In Memory of Kay Lahr, Created by Sculptor & Friend John Cavanaugh

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waiting for pics

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No. 284-286 Lori Walsh – Philadelphia, PA

Made for my great grandmother who is in the hospital after not feeling so well. I recently visited my Nana Sylvester this summer in Maine and I know she will be back home sitting on that same porch I saw her on real soon.

Old San Juan, Puerto Rico

As a reminder for hope with each day to come…these three cranes go to a friend’s mother who was recently diagnosed with cancer.

No. 279-281 Richard’s Mom – Virginia

No. 278 For a good friend of a friend – Lemoyne, PA

“A good friend of mine just lost her mother to cancer two weeks ago. It was really sudden and it was also the week of her 21st birthday…I’m sending her a letter even though i have no idea where to begin… i was hoping i could put a crane in the envelope…”

To a good friend, nobody can know how you feel but many of us can share our stories and hope that it makes a difference… for our mothers.

“I thank you,
Lucy thanks you”

No. 277 Rebecca Nurick – Philadelphia, PA

Seersucker Social at the Hillwood Estate in Washington DC

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on its way

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No. 272 Molly Burd – Albuquerque, NM

No. 273 Mrs. Burd (Molly’s Mom) – State College, PA

No. 270 On top of U-mound in Albuquerque, NM

No. 271 Old Town in Albuquerque, NM

Dallas Airport – on my way to Albuquerque, New Mexico. Made from my boarding pass.

No. 268 Jay Jorda – Tacoma, WA

If I were to pick any place in DC to take my mom for Mother’s Day it would be the National Botanical Gardens. So, today I decided to take Eleven cranes and place them throughout the Conservatory, the outdoor National Garden, Rose Garden, and Bartholdi Park.

No. 257 Butterfly Garden

No. 258 Lawn Terrace

No. 259 Rose Garden

No. 260 Regional Garden

No. 261 Independence Ave Entrance

No. 262 Jungle

No. 263 Bird’s Nest

No. 264 Hawaii Room

No. 265 Garden Court

No. 266 Bartholdi Fountain

No. 267 Bartholdi Park

Paper crane made from a paper cup:

This paper crane was made at a benefit for Fight SMA. Spinal muscular atrophy is a relatively common “rare disorder” that takes the lives of more babies than any other genetic disease.

The benefit was a show featuring 3 bands and ended up raising more than $700. And as a token of hope, I made this paper crane and added it to the donation bucket. Learn more about the disorder and how you can help at fightsma.org

No. 256 St. Stephen’s Church, 1525 Newton St NW, Washington DC

A request for two cranes for Dan Cicconi and his Mother:

“My grandfather was diagnosed with lung cancer in the summer 1998, and it was a traumatic experience for my entire family watching him pass away. My grandmother passed away about a year ago from disease related complications. I know my mom would really appreciate a crane to remember them.”

No. 254 State College, PA
“My crane kept me company late at night when I was finishing my thesis, and he even likes to hang out on top of my mortar board. He even made a new friend.”

No. 255 West Chester, PA:
“My mother absolutely loved her crane, and it will definitely help her out during the next few months. Her crane likes to hang out with flowers.”

Taken in an art museum in Harrisburg, PA

No. 253 Andy Kulik – Camp Hill, PA

Blue Cranes in State College, PA on a recent reunion trip to Penn State.

No. 249 Cozy Thai Bistro – State College, PA

No. 250 501 W. College Ave, Apt 10 – State College, PA

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waiting for pics

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No. 251 Given to friend, Caitlin Yeager, in 501, Apt 12 – State College, PA

No. 252 Graphic Design Studio in Borland – State College, PA

Eleven red cranes at the Tidal Basin with the Cherry Blossoms.

I started this project on 11/11/10 and 4 months later on 3/11/11 the tsunami in Japan hit. In hope for those affected, many crane projects emerged show hope and to provide aid and relief to Japan.

These eleven cranes are my way of providing a little hope next to the Cherry Blossom trees. The 3,000 cherry trees were gifted to Washington, DC in 1912 from Mayor Yukio Ozaki of Tokyo.The gift honors the lasting friendship between the United States and Japan. Therefore it was a perfect setting for the Eleven cranes.

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No. 237 Jason Arias – Brooklyn, NY

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No. 233-236 Adam Warner – Washington DC

Adam’s wife, Meghan, passed from breast cancer at the age of 28 last year. He requested 3 cranes, one for her parents, her aunt, and best friend. I sent him an extra one for himself.

I commend Adam for taking the courage to create his project to finish up a list of his wife’s goals in life. They met while teaching english in Korea, which adds to the connection that his journey has with my own. I am touched that he requested the cranes and know they will live in great memory of and hope for Meghan.

You can find out more about his project at: fortheloveofmeghan.org and ms-mae.blogspot.com.

Traveled from Lancaster to NYC’s Times Square.

No. 232 Corie Deshong – Lancaster, PA

Craig Welsh and his team at GoWelsh won a coveted Gold Pencil and the Best of Show award at this year’s One Show for a Society of Design project titled “Dear Bill.” So, this orange crane traveled with them from Lancaster to Manhattan to see the show. And after the show, instead of making its way back to Lancaster, the orange crane was passed on to someone from Russia.

Who knows where it will end up next but hopefully it will bring a little hope to each new person it comes in contact with.

No. 231 Craig Welsh – Lancaster, PA

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on its way

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No. 230 Jason Horner – Mount Royal, NJ

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on its way

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No. 229 Ashley Wilkins – Riverside, CA

This white crane was lost but I found a perfect home for it downtown in Washington, DC today. It sits with the flowers that fill a basket of a ghost bike.

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waiting for pics

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Ginger from Aberdeen, MD found crane No. 186 on the metro and requested three more cranes to gift. They are now on their way to her.

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on its way

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No. 225 Bonnie Chaya-Bracha Herman – Tzfat, Israel
In addition to her request for a crane, Chaya-Bracha wrote the following poem inspired by the Eleven/Eleven project:

A Crane For Kaleena
for her mother

I learned how to fold a paper crane on a school bus.
We bounced between the soft brown imitation leather and laughed – a day out of class.

I remember the highway zooming outside, and my friend, my teacher – her patience. I begged her not to stop until I could do it without her.

Until I had the folds memorized.
Until I knew the creases perfectly.
Until I knew how to make it fly without tearing its wings.

No. 224 Made from a Tootsie Pop wrapper and given to Brad MacBeth, Washington DC

No. 223 Lindsay Stork – State College, PA

The continuation of 11 cranes on each metro line…

Orange Line
No. 207 Orange Line → New Carollton (4:00pm)
No. 208 Deanwood Station
No. 209 Orange Line → Vienna
No. 210 Stadium-Armory Station
No. 211 Orange Line → Vienna
No. 212 Potomac Avenue Station
No. 213 Eastern Market Station
No. 214 Orange Line → Vienna
No. 215 Captiol South Station
No. 216 Orange Line → New Carollton
No. 217 Federal Conference SW Station

Blue Line
No. 218 Blue Line → Largo
No. 219 Addison Road Station
No. 220 Blue Line → Largo
No. 221 Morgan Blvd. Station
No. 222 Blue Line → Franconia

“My husband and I were in DC on presidents day weekend and I found this little fellow as I was sitting down on the metro. I misplaced him for a while after we got home and unpacked but found him again yesterday and finally checked your website. This is a beautiful thing you’re doing in memory of your Mom. I’m sure it will inspire others as they continue to find the cranes, your website and the hope that comes from witnessing such a beautiful act of love.”

-Ginger, Aberdeen, MD

After my recent adventure of placing 55 paper cranes on the DC metro, one person found one and sent me a photograph. This is the first time a complete stranger felt compelled to take a photo and contact me. Recently more strangers who have stumbled across the project have been requesting paper cranes after visiting the site written on them, and I am delighted that other people are connecting to my personal project in their own personal ways.

“Mahalo.” -David Pham

No. 199 Navy Yard Metro Station

11 paper cranes on each of the 5 metro lines of Washington DC.

The Washington Metro has 5 train lines each associated with a color: Yellow, Green, Red, Blue, and Orange. I decided I would make 11 cranes of each color and place them at some of the metro stations and on the trains themselves. The result is 55 cranes spread along the metro system after a 7 hour adventure. I had the paper ready in my bag, and made the cranes while waiting for the trains and while riding them stop to stop.

*I still have 5 more blue cranes and 11 orange cranes to place. Unfortunately the orange/blue lines were receiving service over the President’s weekend, making it difficult to ride and place cranes in different stations.

In order to look inconspicuous and to move quickly, I didn’t photograph every crane.
But here are a few…

Saturday, February 19
Yellow Line
No. 168 Yellow Line → Fort Totten (3:30pm)
No. 169 Shaw-Howard Univ. Station
No. 170 Yellow Line → Fort Totten (3:40pm)
No. 171 U Street/Afr. American Memorial Station
No. 172 Yellow Line → Fort Totten (3:50pm)
No. 173 Columbia Heights Station
No. 174 Yellow Line → Fort Totten (4:00pm)
No. 175 Georgia Ave/Petworth Station
No. 176 Yellow Line → Fort Totten (4:20pm)
No. 177 Fort Totten Station
No. 178 Yellow Line → Huntington (4:30pm)

Red Line
No. 179 Farragut North Station
No. 180 Red Line → Glenmont (6:05pm)
No. 181 Metro Center Station
No. 182 Red Line → Shady Grove (6:20pm)
No. 183 Friendship Heights Station
No. 184 Red Line → Glenmont (6:30pm)
No. 185 Tenleytown/AU Station
No. 186 Red Line → Shady Grove (6:40pm)
No. 187 Red Line → Glenmont (6:50pm)
No. 188 Woodley Park-Zoo Station
No. 189 Red Line → Glenmont (7:00pm)

Blue Line
No. 190 Blue Line → Springfield (7:15pm)
No. 181 Farragut West Station
No. 182 Blue Line → Metro Center (7:30pm)
No. 183 Blue Line → Springfield (7:35pm)
No. 184 Mcpherson Square Station
No. 185 Blue Line → Springfield (7:45pm)

Green Line
No. 196 Green Line → Branch Ave (8:15pm)
No. 197 Anacostia Station
No. 198 Green Line → Greenbelt (8:45pm)
No. 199 Navy Yard Station
No. 200 Green Line → Greenbelt (9:00pm)
No. 201 Waterfront Station
No. 202 Green Line → Greenbelt (9:15pm)
No. 203 Green Line → Branch Ave (9:25pm)
No. 204 Green Line → Greenbelt (9:30pm)
No. 205 L’Enfant Station
No. 206 Green Line → Greenbelt (9:45pm)

This picture was taken at Dodamsanbong in Chungcheongbuk Province, in South Korea. It was taken on Dodamsanbong Peak, on top of the stone gate. The stone gate is a huge natural rock that has a whole in the middle. You can walk on top of the stone gate because it’s formed as a bridge. All of this is natural. Dondamsanbong is designated as one of the eight most beautiful sceneries in South Korea.

The area was visited by numerous scholars during the Joseon Period (1392-1910). From the stone gate you can see Three Rocks that create a large S figure in the middle of Namhangang River. This is the only place in the world where you can see three long rocks protrude in the middle of a river. There is a legend about the three rocks being human once but then turned into stoned by the gods.

No. 165 Michelle Dufour – South Korea

“I came across one of your cranes a few weeks ago while running on the art museum steps. The crane puzzled me and peaked my interest as to its origin. I then saw the website written on it and decided to contact you. I travel a lot and would like to take your creations to some of the places I will be going to this year, curacao and ethiopia.”

-Dave Horner, Philadelphia PA

No. 163 – Spanish Water View, Curacao
“I wandered all week wondering where i could place this little crane. Do I leave it in the colorful town of Willamstead…or on the beautiful sandy beach…there were so many interesting places and I wanted it to be found. Then I happened an old fort on my drive south of the capital. The fort was unmarked but had a tower, ramparts and canons. overgrown with brush but still explored on occasion. The place was called spanish water view. Ahis was the place! A great place to leave this little treasure to be found by another adventure.” – Dave

No. 164 Lalibela, Ethiopia
“This place caught my eye as a place to leave this little treasure. the church was built into the cliffs/cave. It was a very quiet and peaceful place.” -Dave

Dodge City
917 U St NW, Washington DC

Paper cranes placed in the National Gallery’s Sculpture and Butterfly Habitat Gardens in honor of my mother’s birthday on February 5, 2011.

“Please send me and my girlfriend a crane, we would love to give them homes. We are roommates at Jacksonville State University in Northeast Alabama. I am a freshman and she is a sophomore. I am making her 1000 cranes for valentines day and i was browsing through the pictures of paper cranes on google when i came across your blog. I think what you are doing is really cool. I would like to help your cause by giving two of your cranes a home here.” -Marcy Hester, Jacksonville, AL

Taken at Rachel’s work desk in Olympia, WA along with a sign that reads “‘For I know the plans I have you,’” declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:1.

No. 155 Rachel & Rex – Fife, WA

“I never got the chance to get to know your mother, but I can tell from the way that you & Sarah are turning out that she must have been a very, very special person. What a beautiful idea to honor her this way.”

No. 154 Julie Porter – Warwick, RI

No. 153 Kristin Sommese – Port Matilda, PA

*Photo by Ryan Ulsh 

“This is absolutely one of the most beautiful ideas of hope I’ve ever seen and I am honored that your sharing it and giving me the opportunity to be a part of it.”

No. 152 Andrew Castillo – Washington DC

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No. 151 Andy McMillan – Fort Mill, SC

No. 150 Marshall Bower – State College, PA (made and given in Brooklyn, NY)

Cranes in Brooklyn made from the Park Slope Reader.

No. 145 Ozzie’s Coffee & Tea (249 5th Avenue)

No. 146 Brooklyn Superhero Supply Co. (372 5th Ave)

No. 147 Brooklyn Industries (7th Ave & 9th St)

No. 148 G stop platform (4th Ave & 9th St)

No. 149 Papacitos Brooklyn (999 Manhattan Ave)

20 colorful cranes on their way to New York to give some hope to a few kids in the Bronx and others elsewhere in need of a little hope…

“I would love to help you out with your project!  I also think that your project could help some of the people that I know. I am a mentor to some students in the Bronx and I think that these Hope Cranes would be very meaningful to them if they could ‘live’ with them.” -Emily Owens, New York City

“I gave beautiful, red, crane #123 to my Dad on Valentines Day. He died of cancer on Dec 1 1988. I was 26 years old. Even after so much time I think of him just about every day. It took a while, but now instead of his illness and death, I mostly remember him as the healthy, talented and fun loving guy that I loved. I hope the same for you.”

No. 123 Donald Norwood – Lanier Heights, Washington DC

This is a crane my sister, Sarah, made for me sitting on my bookshelf in DC.

Picture Love is a blog about connecting humanity and sharing that through the love of pictures and they recently made a post about Eleven/Eleven. I wanted to share what they wrote because it speaks to what Eleven/Eleven is about and is able to add to the meaning of the project in a way that amazes me every time. This is exactly what Eleven/Eleven is about. Thank you for your kind words and your support.

“Eleven/Eleven is a project being done by a young woman who lost her mother to cancer. Her goal is to fold 1000 paper cranes, as a message of hope. Paper Cranes are a symbol of good health according to Ancient Japanese Legend, so when her mother was sick, her sister folded 1000 cranes. The cranes became symbolic of not just good health, but of the love and hope they provided. They also served as a bonding experience for the sisters and their mother.

Now, her goal is to personlly fold 1000 paper cranes as a response to requests for hope. It’s like an answer to your prayers taking form as a paper crane. She will send you the crane and as a response you take a photograph of where the crane is living, and post it to her website. To me, this is a true act of love. It is an act which will connect people and thread humanity together while weaving the great web of hope. We all have hope and it exists in many different forms. Let us recognize that we are not so different. We share a lot more than we realize. I hope for the more beautiful world we all know is possible. I hope for humanity connected. I hope for the well being of my friends and family. I hope for a world that is cancer-free. I hope for many many things. What do you hope for? Place yourself on the thread of humanity by recognizing your own hopes, and then recognizing that the person sitting across from you on the subway might be hoping for the exact same thing. Separation is an illusion. If they are not hoping for the same, isn’t it enough to know that they are hoping for something?

Connect yourself to humanity, and to this cause. Let us spin that great web of hope together. In doing so, you will not only provide this young woman hope but she will provide you with a hope as well. A hope for whatever it is that you hope for. We are one human race, all existing in the same space. Share the hope, share the love.” (Picture Love, January 23, 2011)

A day of wandering on and off the Metro in Washington DC…

No. 117 Mt. Vernon Square/7th Street Convention Center Metro Station

No. 118 Outside Gallery Place Metro Station at the Portrait Gallery

No. 119 Chinatown/Gallery Place Metro Station

No. 120 On the metro to Columbia Heights

No. 121 A bike in Columbia Heights in front of Sticky Fingers

No. 122 Columbia Heights Metro Station

No. 116 Jenny Lubkin – Cherry Hill, NJ

Eleven cranes at Lincoln Memorial on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Made from posters that I designed for Penn State’s 24th Commemoration of MLK Jr. in 2009.

Carrie is a Graphic Design student at Penn State and her paper crane was sent to her to bring hope to her at the design studio that I am all too familiar with (being a Penn State Graphic Design Alum). I am happy to see the jars of xacto blades that I started are still overflowing…

“So, I gave my crane a tour of the design space. She doesn’t have a name yet, but she seems to fit in well with the rest of the paper crafts we have in the studio. The jars of death are her most favorite thing.”

No. 104 Carrie Brickell – State College, PA

Located at Sticky Fingers in Columbia Heights of Washington DC.

“Thanks for making the beautiful crane. It is adding to my shrine now.”
No. 102 Jacob Suazo – Lakewood, WA

“Badass crane next to a beautiful box of Marlboros.”
No. 101 Jessie Bustin – Brooklyn, NY

Located at The General Design Co. in Dupont Circle of Washington DC

“I have him hanging with our Dragon who has watched over us for almost 20 years. Much love and respect.”

No. 099 Styk – Issaquah, WA

“I understand how hard it is to think of being hopeful in the face of a great loss in your life. My father passed away when I was 10 in an airplane crash. When I think about him I can’t help to be sad at the thought of him not being around anymore, but I know he would never want me to be sad for him but to remember him with a smile. He had always said that he wanted to come back in his next life as a bird, so every time I see one of your cranes I think of him and smile.”

No. 098 Lainey Lee – Winston Salem, NC

No. 097 Stephanie Ciabattoni – Philadelphia, PA

Nichaya was one of many who requested a crane after (No. 032 Michelle Chang)  shared the project with her. She lives in Bangkok, Thailand. However due to flooding in Thailand she had to stay in a hotel in Pataya. She also took the crane with her to Panoi on a business trip to Vietnam.

I am grateful to Michelle, who I never have met, for spreading the word to many of her friends that led to 8 separate requests, including Nichaya’s. It is through these connections that this project has grown so much to touch so many different people around the world.

The receiver of crane No. 032, Michelle Chang, spread the word to a bunch of her friends through an email and I received a flood of requests. I don’t personally know Michelle, and even without knowing her, the fact that she sent out an email on behalf of my project lets me know how much people connect with Eleven/Eleven. Here is a fleet of cranes going out to the friends of Michelle from California to New York and even all the way to Thailand. Thank you all for your support.

No. 089 Joan Carr – Woodland Hills, CA
“My husband died 9/12/10, so I truly understand your loss. Please send me a paper crane. What a beautiful tribute to your mom…I added your crane to my ‘trimmed’ Charlie Brown Christmas Tree.”

No. 090 Elaine Chao – New York, NY
“I work as a nurse practitioner at a school so I wanted to leave my crane in my office so the kids can see it. I have butcher paper posted on my wall for the kids to draw pictures on relating to their health, which I thought was a good place to put mine.”

No. 091 Annie Yang – San Francisco, CA

No. 092 Amy Frost – New York, NY

No. 093 Nichaya – Pataya, Thailand & Hanoi, Vietnam
This crane has traveled with Nichaya from Bangkok to Pataya in Thailand and even to Vietnam on a business trip.
“I took this picture at my hotel in Pataya, Thailand. I moved to Pataya for a short time because of flooding in Bangkok.” 

“I kept it with me to Vietnam for my business trip. Hanoi is a place that I took this picture.”

No. 094 Carly Byrd – New York, NY
“Resides in Harlem, NY – picture from the window of my apartment”

No. 095 Angel Lee – New York, NY
From the 14th floor of the empire state building.

No. 096 Christine Yang – San Jose, CA
In front of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey

No. 088 Maoz  - 1100 block of Walnut Street in the Gayborhood of Philadelphia

Here are Eleven cranes placed around Philadelphia (+1 given to Zack) on a recent trip I made to celebrate 1/1/11. Another kind of Eleven/Eleven.

No. 076 Christmas Tree in Rittenhouse Square

No. 077 1700 Block of Addison

No. 078 Rodman Street

No. 079 Zack Hartman – Center City, Philadelphia

No. 080 Logan Square (note: Korean flag flying in the background)

No. 081 Pennypacker Statue (Benjamin Franklin Parkway)

No. 082 Philadelphia Art Museum

No. 083 Fairmount Damn

No. 084 Schuylkill River Overlook

No. 085 Love Park

No. 086 Liberty Bell Center

No. 087 30th Street Station

Made for our waiter out of the receipt paper from a New Year’s Day brunch at Marathon.

No. 075 Jake – Philadelphia, PA

“Thanks for the crane. Eleven/Eleven is such a beautiful project – it also really resonates with me on a personal level. My little guy is sitting on my dresser to remind me to be thankful for each and every day.”

No. 074 Megan Yanchitis – New York, NY

“Thanks so much for the crane–it now lives on my bookshelf along with some other items of inspiration I keep there (since being on my bookshelf guarantees I’ll look at them every day)”

No. 073 Stacy Zanca – Lake Hiawatha, NJ

A picture of Jen’s mother holding the crane I sent. Our mother’s were close friends when we lived in Idaho about 10 years ago, and their family was there for us whenever and if we needed them. Thank You, Jackson family, for your support. (I also included some additional images that Jen took. It was just to hard to choose one.)

No. 072 Jen Jackson – Mtn. Home, ID

These 2 cranes sent to Toni are in replacement of No. 026 & No. 027 which were lost in the black hole of the USPS. One is for her in New York and the second was to take home to Pennsylvania with her mom.

“70/1000 lives in The Palm Court at The Plaza Hotel in NYC. The grandeur of the room instantly calms me and makes overwhelmingly grateful for my life here in the city. Whenever I’m feeling particularly down about anything I visit this room to remind myself of all the beautiful things around me. I can’t help but feel a bit jealous that 70/1000 gets to stay at The Plaza while I make my way back up to my little upper west side apartment, until next time…”

No. 070 Toni Wasylyk – Plaza Hotel, NYC

“Here’s crane 71. It traveled with me to Cochranville, Pennsylvania where it currently lives in the tack room of my family’s horse farm, Windswept Farm. I put it here to ‘oversee’ my mother and her daily students who are in and out of the barn. The photo is with my childhood horse, Digger. This old guy is a true saint and has always been there for me when I’m feeling low and just want to get out and away.”

No. 071 Toni Wasylyk – Cochranville, PA

“I work as a nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Hershey Medical Center. It’s not generally as depressing as it sounds – manyof the babies just decided to come out a too early and need to mature under watchful eyes. However, other cases are much more serious and despite everything we can do for them, they still don’t make it. Your project touched me so much because of the relationship between and a mother and her child…”

No. 069 Molly McInnis – Harrisburg, PA

“These are all taken from my work in Henderson/Las Vegas, NV.
It sits at my desk and gets a lots of comments…mainly, ‘Hey, it’s a crane.’” – Rich

“I just checked out this 11/11 project you’re doing for your mom and I think it’s a fantastic tribute. My mom died of cancer when I was 8 and over time I realized how important it is to have something to remind me of her, whether it’s a picture of her, her journals she left me or records of her favorite bands. I’d love to get a crane and help out in any way possible.”

No. 068 Rich Coleman – Henderson, NV

_____________

missing
(replaced with crane no. 167)

_____________

Tyler Orton – Fairfax, VA

“…I brought the crane here because I know this is a place my grandmother would have loved. I was thinking…if she could truly imagine herself at peace and free of pain, she would imagine herself in a place like this…” – Mike

My mother would have loved this place too, as she loved flowers and plants more than anyone I knew. Our house was always filled with plants. So, I am thrilled that Mike chose this place to take pictures of the paper crane I made from one of his old music posters, which fits perfectly in the setting. Mike sent 11 pictures of his crane at the Longwood Gardens in Kennet Square, PA. Here are just a few…

No. 066 Mike Hromchak – Silver Spring, MD
*crane pics located at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA

The first  picture, and more to come all the way from Michigan.

Snowy Michigan.

No. 065 Charlie Carr – Midland, MI

Made from a program for the films showing at The National Gallery in DC and sent to Sarah in Royersford.

No. 064 Sarah Fleisher – Royersford, PA

“I could have lost my mother to cancer when I was an early teenager, and I’m eternally grateful it was caught in time & it never came to that…My crane is living at my desk on the 38th floor of the US Steel Tower in Pittsburgh. Here it is enjoying the lovely view.”

No. 063 Alyson Rhodes – Pittsburgh, PA

“In front of my house on Christmas Day.”
No. 062 Sunish – Nashua, NH

Butter is the creator and the brains behind The Mixtape Club: an organization dedicated to the art of the mixtape, ten people, ten tracks, ten album covers. In December he asked me to be a part of one of the sessions and soon after I participated in his project, I sent him a crane to be a part of Eleven/Eleven. His mother passed away only a few months before mine and this crane lives in loving memory.

No. 061 Butter (Brian Thomas) – Brooklyn, NY

McMurray Elementary Library near Pittsburgh

“Maddie told me about your paper crane project and we’d love to help you remember your mother in this way. My students do this activity for Peace Day every year in May…amazing to see all of those cranes. Best wishes on your project.”

No. 060 Meg Owens – Bethel Park, PA

Inside and outside the Metro Center Station.
And many hours after I placed number 59, one of my friends in DC found the crane and sent me a text pic.

A little hope sent for Grandpa Stauffer early in December, now lives in loving memory 12/25/2010.

“My mom couldn’t decide where to photograph her crane – she had it in flowers and trees and all over, and for the time it was living on a shelf in our kitchen. So after Grandpop passed, I had to walk over to my house to get something. I saw the crane and put it in my pocket, figured I could take some hope back with me. When I went to put my coat down on my grandmom’s bed, I saw the picture of them and knew that this is where the crane should live. Grandmom knew all about eleven/eleven from my mom sharing it and now she has a little extra hope with her.” – Lesley Hartman, 12/26/2010

No. 057 Helen Hartman – Reading, PA

Paper cranes on their way to Maine. They are being delivered to family and friends by my Great Aunt Barbara.

No. 051 Barbara Sylvester – Hartford, ME
“I would be happy to place some cranes in your mother’s memory. I would make sure they got placed and put where they would be appreciated.”

No. 052 Nana Sylvester – Andover, ME

No. 053 Mike Sylvester

No. 054 Robert Sylvester

No. 055 Aunt Terry and Bob Bouchard

No. 056 CC Comeau

A crane in the BicyclesNYC bike shop. In the end the crane was gifted from me to Nick to their 69 year old mechanic.

No. 050 Nick Camacho – Brooklyn, NY

No. 049 Amanda Kloos – Rockville, MD

“Your project made me realize that maybe for now, all I need is one little thing: hope. This project is truly inspiring, and quite an honorable way to carry on the memory of your mother and her everlasting message of hope and love. I’m so happy that you are sharing it with the world, and I’m sure your mom is too.”

Thank You for sharing your story, Amanda. It is so nice to see and hear so many different stories or reasons why each one of us could always use a little hope. And as I do hope this project inspires and connects other people, I can’t help but be inspired myself by each person that puts in a request, every one of them is so unique in their own right and is more than what I expected out of this project already.

Made from the first page of his novel.

No. 048 David Stuckey – Washington, DC

“It has always been my ‘hope’ to live off my writings the way i wanted to without compromise.
And through my writings my ‘hope’ has always been to take people to places they have never been and let them meet people they have never interacted with and teach them things through prose.”

“I am so touched to have something like this around to
remind me how beautiful and influential a life can be.”

No. 047 Chris Rizzo – Pittsburgh, PA

Eleven on 11th St NW

No. 036 – Bus stop at 11th & P
No. 037 – A roadside memorial with flowers (11th & Rhode Island)
No. 038 – Shaw Dog Park (11th & R)
No. 039 – Eleven market (11th & U)
No. 040 – Parking lot with “Endless Summer” grafitti on the wall (11th & V)
No. 041 – Garfield Terrace on the red benches (11th & Florida)
No. 042 – The corner of 11th & O
No. 043 – 1111 11th St NW
No. 044 – Samuel Gompers Memorial Park (11th & L)
No. 045 – The corner of 11th & F
No. 046 – The end of 11th St at Pennsylvania Ave

“I promise that no paper animals were harmed in the capturing of this image. This is the court house in Licking County, Ohio.”

No. 035 Lynsey Smith – Granville, OH

Made from the rest of the wrapping paper from the gift given to me on 11/11 from Soung, these paper cranes are now a gift of hope to six new people.

No. 029 Ruth Viens – Cumberland, RI
“This is a beautiful thing you are doing and it brought tears to my eyes. I miss your mom and think of her every now and then and would like a crane to have in her memory. Grandpa and I are very proud of you and we remember her in our hearts. You may send us some hope in our old age thank you. -Love Grandma & Grandpa”

No. 030 Sharon Desper – Woonsocket, RI
I can’t even describe how beautiful this is. I want to learn how to make a paper crane as well, if you are willing to teach me one day.I think about your mom at least once a day every day….she is so beautiful and will always leave happy memories in my heart! Please send me a crane so I can have another beautiful memory to look upon each day!”

No. 031 Erin McCue – New York, NY
“My mother is in remission from thyroid cancer, my grandmother is in remission from breast cancer, and my grandfather from prostate cancer. I love your message of hope and will definitely pass this along.”

No. 032 Michelle Chang – New York, NY
“I wanted to bring the crane home to keep my mom company in California…”

No. 033 & 034 Kyle LaMar & Amber Chandler – Brooklyn, NY
“Thanks Kaleena. These guys sit by the door to our apartment.”

Today I made a fleet of cranes made from the wrapping of a package I recently received from Germany. So from Germany to DC to 8 different cities in 7 states, I am mailing these cranes to the next requests for hope.

No. 021 Jessica Lonett – Harrisonburg, VA
“Here’s my crane watching Santa at the Harrisonburg Christmas parade from my apt window”

No. 022 Jennifer Arthur – Denver, CO
“I remember making paper cranes together as kids, and those tiny paper stars too. If it’s possible i’d like to help you. It’s strange because we haven’t talked in years. It feels like forever ago, and i never knew how to reconnect or anything.. i think this way is better than any way.”

No. 023 Joe Delaney – Somerville, MA
“Hope has and will always continue to be.”

No. 024 Justin Estes – Puyallup, WA

No. 025 Kelly Murphy – Brooklyn, NY
“Please send me a crane for hope and for remembrance. This project is gorgeous.”

No. 026 & No. 027 Toni Wasylyk – Hoboken, NJ & PA

No. 028 Allison Berger – Philadelphia, PA
Much thanks to Allison for spreading the hope and supporting the project. More people have come to me from you than anywhere else. Thank You!

“Perched between the fingers of this beautiful statue in Rittenhouse Square”

My mom’s favorite place we lived was in Hawaii. We had a good community of friend’s there and I am so glad that even though I haven’t seen most of them for more than 10 years, we find ways to reconnect.

This crane was made from old origami paper from when we lived in Hawaii.

No. 020 Glenda Ramirez – Honolulu, HI
“I received your mail after work yesterday–and your crane! It couldn’t have came at a better time. I had the biggest smile on my face. Thank you (: You have inspired me to continue a similar personal project that I started in September.”

These are the smallest cranes I have ever made from some old origami paper I had from when I was young and lived in Japan. They went in the mail today to my five closest girlfriends who are all too many miles away. Together we make six.

No. 015 (Blue Crane) Jill – Brooklyn, NY

No. 016 (Green Crane) Amanda – Camp Hill , PA

No. 017 (Red Crane) Maddie – Brooklyn, NY
“My crane will be eye to eye with me every morning so that I can start each day with hope & Kaleena!”

No. 018 (Yellow Crane) Lauren – Pittsburgh, PA

No. 019 (Pink Crane) Lesley – Philadelphia, PA

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all

And sweetest in the gale is heard
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm

I’ve heard it in the chillest land
And on the strangest sea
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.

This poem by Emily Dickinson is one we used on the memorial cards for my mom. I decided to re-purpose them to make some of the paper cranes. These are the first two.

No. 013 Marc Porter – Pawtucket, RI
Being sent to my dad for his birthday coming up on 11/29 and significantly enough for my parent’s wedding anniversary which is 11/13/85.
“It will stay next to the shephard for protection.”

No. 014 Sarah Porter – Pullman, WA
Is flying to my baby sister who is still in Washington State finishing up school. She made the first 1000 cranes with my mom and this project would not be complete without her. Love you baby sis.
“…can’t wait to put it with the 1000 i made for/with my momma a year and a half ago when the crane became so significant in my life for one thousand and one reasons.”

On 11/11/10 Soung gave me one of her favorite cds from the early 90′s. The cd is appropriately titled “Eleven: Eleven.” I used the wrapping paper to make crane No. 012. Thank you Soung for being there for me through the Eleven/Eleven’s, this crane is for you.

Soung Wiser – Brookland, DC

DC was all sunshine and 60 degrees today, perfect to begin my project by taking a leisurely bike ride through the neighborhoods. On my four hour adventure, I made eleven stops and eleven paper cranes. The paper source was newsprint that was re-purposed from an old art class. The first two cranes were made from 36″ sheets and the rest from 18″ sheets, starting off with as big as I could possibly go.

No. 001 – Gardens Pond
No. 002 – World War II Memorial
No. 003 – Tidal Basin
No. 004 – FDR Memorial Entrance
No. 005 – FDR Memorial Exit
No. 006 – P Street Whole Foods
No. 007 – Dupont Circle
No. 008 – Rabaut Park
No. 009 – Meridian Hill Park
No. 010 – Columbia Heights Plaza
No. 011 – Logan Circle

From 11/11/10 to 11/11/11 I will be making 1000 cranes in the loving memory of my mother who entered the gates of heaven one year ago today.  What resonates with me most about my mother was her ability to continue to deliver a message of hope and this is the story of how.

I was only 22 and away at college nearly 3,000 miles away when I found out my mom had terminal cancer. I had two more months until graduation and my proud mom wanted nothing more but for me to stay and finish school. Little did I know, I would only have six months with my mom after being away for four years. However, in those six months my mom would give me the greatest lesson that can only be known through experience and not explained in words. What it came down to was hope. She never let anyone tell her there was no hope, that is what kept her alive and still living in memory today.

After we found out my mom had cancer my sister folded 1000 paper cranes to wish good health for her, which is inspired by the ancient Japanese legend and the Sadako story of 1000 cranes. We had been folding paper cranes since we were little, but now they meant more to us than ever before. More than just a wish for good health, the cranes bonded us in an experience that you would never wish upon another.

The paper crane and this idea of hope is something I wanted to always hold onto in respect for my mother. One month after she passed on, I got a tattoo of a paper crane along with the date 11/11. In the spontaneity of getting tattoo number four and five, I didn’t think about the consequences as curious onlookers will always ask, “What does that mean?” Before I knew it I found myself learning quickly how to respond without bursting into tears. Mom’s never want to see their babies cry, especially for them. Sharing with people the hope that my mother shared with me is what Eleven/Eleven is about.