The Yellow Balloon

Way back in August 2012, one of our neighbors hosted their annual "End of Summer/Back to School" picnic. It's a great event, with everyone in the court bringing food and drink to share and all the kids playing together while the grown-ups hang out and chat. There were bunches of streamers and balloons tied to the canopy that someone had set up to cover the food tables, adding to the party-like atmosphere.

Sometime during the evening, someone gave Clara one of the balloons and she happily walked around with it tied to her wrist. As happens with kids and balloons, it came off her wrist and floated away into the night. Clara was heartbroken, and sobbed for longer than losing a balloon requires (in my mind).

That night, my mom called to chat with me and Clara cried into the phone, telling her Grandma Em about the loss of her yellow balloon and how she was so very sad. The next day, my cousin texted me this picture (which I have no idea how to make smaller - sorry!):




It seems the balloon floated all the way to Grandma Em's house in Pennsylvania, and one of the angels from her garden caught it and promised to hold it until Clara came to visit. Clara worried that the angel would lose it, but Grandma Em promised her the angel would take very good care of it.

Clara mentioned her yellow balloon and the angel a few times over the months, which surprised me - it was, after all (to me), just a balloon.

Fast forward to Christmas, and I was talking with mom about our plans to visit her. Clara asked if the angel still had her balloon, and Grandma Em assured her it was safe in the garden angel's hands. When we pulled up to her house, Clara hopped out of the car and ran to the back yard and there she saw it:

Her balloon, safe in the hands of the angel.

I think the smile says it all.

This silly balloon made her so very happy. She carried it around with her the rest of the time we were in Pennsylvania.

Slept with it...

Ate with it...

The helium eventually leaked out, as it does, but Clara kept the balloon. It's in her box of treasures, those bits and things kids collect that mean something to them. And she randomly tells people that her Grandma Em's garden angel caught her balloon and kept it safe until she could get it back.

Well done, Grandma Em.