Japan
Several years ago I was spending some time at home after an intense peace walk in Greece, sitting on the deck, thumbing idly through a book. I came across a true story about a young girl named Sadako Sasaki, who died tragically from effects of the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. If you have ever seen an origami crane, it was very likely folded by someone in memory of this courageous girl. You can read her story here.
That day I dreamed of walking in Hiroshima and placing my peace bird on Sadako’s memorial statue. I realized that because it was a dream, and not a goal, it wouldn’t matter when or how I got there, or even if I did. Over the years I had folks continue to encourage me to fulfill my dream; I even had invitations to stay with friends there. But I walked many miles in many countries before reaching Japan, eighteen years later. Every step was important. Read more...