One of our residents received an origami book as a gift. The intent was to help her pass the time in a relaxing way. But the crane proved to be anything but relaxing. In fact, it was downright frustrating because, time after time, she could only get so far and then get confused and give up.

When our art therapist called out sick on short notice, the resident suggested that she bring the book to the art table and share with everyone both her frustration and hope that they as a group could accomplish what had been impossible for her as an individual.

Once hesitant to come to the table, each managed to converse with each other about their struggles and each ultimately was able to complete a beautiful crane. As an individual who had originally failed, she discovered that an hour of intense conversation sprinkled with some laughs lead her to success. She reached out and shared. Once again, the genius of the 12-step process at work.