A package Karen Elaine Parsons received during her breast cancer fight turned into a pay it forward act of kindness on her part.
“It was a hopeless day, and when I opened the box all of the hand-folded cranes nearly flew out like doves,” Parsons said. “The sight of those nearly weightless objects made me smile and gave me hope. Each crane meant that person, whom I didn’t even know, had well wishes in their heart as they folded it. It’s a powerful expression of prayer.”
Parsons is an eight-year breast cancer survivor, although she calls herself a cancer warrior because, “I had to fight this thing,” she said.
Parsons spends time at her kitchen table in Clarkdale to fold pieces of brightly colored paper to make small origami cranes to pass them along the same way others passed them to her. She sorts the unfolded sheets into bundles of 25 so she can keep track of how many she’s made.
“That box of cranes lifted my spirits, so I want to do the same for others through my Thousand Cranes for Hope blog. I have a video on how to fold the cranes, create chains of them and ideas on what to write on the card to send with them,” Parsons said. “I want to accomplish at least the first 1,000 and have other people do it too.”
For the full story, see the Wednesday, Oct. 24, edition of The Camp Verde Journal or the Cottonwood Journal Extra.
