As I headed out with Chandler to Walk around Lake Union this morning, the first person we encountered was a gentleman sitting quietly near a bush, sipping on an ice cold beer. He called to Chandler, inviting her to come to him, which she did, happily. I spent a few moments talking with the gentleman, learning that he is “happier having his morning beer on the street than having to go to a job”. He offered me a beer (he had several), which I declined, and Chandler and I continued on our way.
A little later, we met these two young ladies, Haley and Natasha. They had just come out of a yoga class, and were thrilled to have a chance to pet Chandler. We talked for a bit, and I got out my 1conversation for Peace cards to invite them to draw from. They each picked a card, and after reading the questions, both girls started shyly giggling. Neither one would answer the question they got. I explained that the purpose of the cards is to begin a conversation about Peace, and invited them to take the cards and share them with friends or family that they felt comfortable answering the questions with. They both put the cards away, and after a quick photo, Chandler and I were on our way again.
The weather was magnificent, and along one side of the lake there are a number of “floating homes”, each with their own distinct look; personality if you will. As I Walked past some of the homes, I glanced through a fence and saw this lovely row of houses, and couldn’t resist taking a quick photo.
A bit later, I came across this sculpture. It made me curious about the artist who created such ebullient figures. The figures somehow reminded me of my sister, Emily. Their playful, larger than life personas and purposeful yet mischevious faces made me think of how Emily and I can be sometimes when we’re together.
Then, at about the 5 1/4 mile mark of my 6 mile Walk, I saw a street sign with an arrow pointing up a small hill to “Peace Park”. As I got to the tiny little park, there was a monument to Sadako Sasaki , which was covered in beautiful paper cranes. Sadako was two years old when the Atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, less than a mile from her house. Surprisingly, Sadako survived. However, ten years after the bombing, Sadako was diagnosed with leukemia. Over the next eight months, Sadako folded more than 1,200 paper cranes, hoping that the Japanese fable that one who folds a thousand paper cranes will have one their most desired wish granted because of their patience and commitment, would come true. Sadly, Sadako died. However, her story became known the world over, and she and the cranes have become an international symbol for Peace.
Tonight, I am moved by and grateful for the synchronicity of this event…