by Cindy Walker Burton
They gaily decorate birthday parties, proms, sports events, and special occasions. They’re the hallmark of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. They’re capable of lifting spirits and transporting passengers to exhilarating heights. No childhood is complete without this item. They’re light as air but must be handled with care. Behold the buoyant balloon!
The first hot air balloon was created in France by Josef Michele and Jacques Etienne. My first hot air balloon ride was in Florida back in 1999. I took my then 12 year-old daughter and three of her friends to a Christian event which featured free rides in a gigantic red hot air balloon emblazoned with Lift High The Cross. Our spirits were lifted high when we became airborne! It was a truly transcendent experience for all of us.
Perhaps you have fond memories of a dance floor blanketed with bright balloons. Have you been to Disney World and purchased a traditional “Mickey Mouse ears” balloon? Ever held the hand of a friend in a hospital room blooming with cheerful balloons? Thanks to Michael Faraday (rubber balloon inventor) and William Marston (helium balloon inventor), our lives lighter, lovelier, and airier with beloved balloons.
My final thought on this billowy, bouncy mainstay is poignantly reflected in this true story I read years ago. Following her husband’s funeral, a grieving widow and her mother were tidying up the house after the memorial dinner. While the mother was busy clearing tables and washing dishes, she spied a partially deflated red balloon on the kitchen counter. She picked it up, intending to throw it away. The widow quickly took it from her hands, caressing it gently. “Why on earth do you want to keep that balloon?” the surprised mother asked. Her daughter looked at her with tears brimming in her eyes and replied, “My husband’s breath is still in that balloon. He blew it up for our daughter.” Her husband was gone forever. But the very breath of his life was still in that balloon.
Life is like a balloon: if you never let yourself soar, you’ll never know how high you can rise. The price of a balloon? A few bucks. Soaring like a balloon? Priceless.
