As some of you are aware, I am residing in beautiful Japan this year. Some of you are even following my personal (not blogging) exploits over at A Broad Abroad. But I wanted to bring these two aspects of my life together for the first time and also do something positive in the YA blogosphere.Most kids have had Sadako Sasaki's story read to them at some point of their schooling. For those of you unfamiliar:
Sadako was 2 years old when the US dropped the A-bomb over Hiroshima in 1945. In spring 1955 at age 11, like many other children she became sick and diagnosed with Leukemia, which people from Hiroshima called 'the A-Bomb disease'. She heard a story that if you fold a thousand paper cranes a wish is granted. She folded more than a thousand, but her wish to recover was not granted and she died in October that year at age 12. Three years later the 'Children's Peace Memorial' was erected in her name.
On Saturday I am visiting Hiroshima, specifically the Peace Memorial Museum. I am equal parts excited and scared. The story moved me as a child who couldn't possibly process the extent of World War 2. A child who hadn't seen pictures of Hiroshima flattened. A child who couldn't even imagine what would happen one September morning in her twentieth year.
Here's my proposal. I am going to leave some paper cranes at the memorial statue this weekend. I am extending an invitation that I write your name/blog and country on a crane that I leave at the site. Hiroshima is not a place everyone will have the chance to visit in their lifetime and I would like to act in lieu of you, should you wish it.
I am not pushing a political agenda. Just extending my hope for peace and memorialising all the children that have been lost to conflict. If this is something you would be interested in please leave that info in the comments section of this post or email me (if that makes you feel more comfortable). You do need to ensure this is done by Friday morning (US time) to have your name on one of the cranes. I will take photos and post them here next week.
Peace.
Update: Would people please consider tweeting about this so that people are aware that they can be included? Thank you.
16 comments:
This is one of the most beautiful gestures I have ever been fortunate enough to not only witness but participate in. Thhank you for that.
Please do leave one in my name, I would truly appreciate it.
What a wonderful and thoughtful idea, Adele. I had to wipe a way a few tears while reading this post. War is such a terrible thing and it hurts so many innocent lives.
Would you please do one in my name as well? My name is Mari, the blogger behind Escape In A Book and I'm from Norway.
Thank you so much for doing this!
Please include me too.
Keira, the blogger behind Love Romance Passion and Literature Young Adult Fiction. I live in Florida, USA.
You are awesome! This is so nice of you.
I would love to be included.
My name is Sabrina, my blog is YA Bliss at yabliss.com and I'm a proud Venezuelan (living in US).
When I lived in Japan, I visited Nagasaki but not Hiroshima. One bomb musuem was enough!
Adele, that's so beautiful.
I would absolutely love you to include me. My blog is I Was A Teenage Book Geek.
I'll get tweeting. :)
Please leave my name on one. It sounds like a lovely idea. My blog is Opinionated? Me?.
This is a wonderful thing you are doing here, and I would like to take you up on it.
So I guess what you'd want is:
Catherine / New Zealand / catherine-haines.com
?
What a lovely gesture, Adele, thank you. I live in Melbourne; my blog is called What She Said.
Look forward to reading your impressions of Hiroshima on your Japan blog.
This is a lovely gesture. Thank you.
Suzie/Suz's Space/Melbourne, Australia
This post brought tears to my eyes. This is really thoughtful and please include me:
Danielle from USA (California)
Me, please.
Absolutely. This idea is so touching.
Steph Su / Swarthmore, PA, USA / Steph Su Reads
I think that is a lovely gesture - I'm sure it will be an amazing place to visit. It gives me goose bumps just thinking about the bomb. I'm looking forward to seeing your pictures
Oh my gosh, this is amazing. I would be honored if you put my name here (Catt from California). Thank you, Adele!
You know what, might as well put everything on there.
Catt Phan/Southern California/The Dreamer Reader
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