My Red Balloon

Welcome to Poppy's Blog!

Thank you for joining me on this holiday weekend.  Today I will share a story I wrote on February 29, 2020.

 

It was a couple of days before my 8th birthday and I overheard mom talking with my

godmother about a party. Hosting gatherings came natural for my mom because she loved having company.  The night before my birthday, my godmother Mary and godfather Ernie came to visit. They had a special present and wanted me to open it. I slowly untied the pretty bow and opened the box. My eyes lit up as I pulled the dress out of the box. It was emerald green on top with a pink ribbon tie and off-white pleats. They asked me to try it on.  I ran into the bathroom and slipped it on. I felt like a princess, it was pretty, and the material was soft. I walked into the kitchen and everyone stopped to stare.  Mary said, "it fits perfectly." I went over and gave Mary and Ernie a big hug to thank them for my birthday dress. 

That night, as I went to bed, I thought about my birthday party and how fun it was going to be. I cannot remember if I slept that night. My sisters and me woke up early and mom had breakfast ready. We ate and then put our play clothes on to help with the decorations.  My mom had music on and was dancing as she cooked up a storm in the kitchen. We went out and blew up balloons, set up the chairs and covered the tables.  My cake was a "carousel cake" my dad had ordered at Wilson's Jewel Bakery, where he worked.  It was colorful.  My mom made her special punch with orange slices. I had to stop on the way into the house to look at the punch bowl because the suns reflection made it sparkle.  My dad had the barbecue going and my mom and her sister Mercy along with Mary helped with the side dishes. Everything was perfect. After we finished with the decorations, we went back into the house to dress for the party. My friends from school started to arrive and were sitting at the table along with my cousins. 

We finished dressing and mom brushed our hair.  My sisters and me ran to the front door and tried to fit through the doorway at the same time. I ended up falling and scraping my knee and arm. My mom came running as I cried. She hugged me and helped me up. I told her my dress was ruined and my knee was bleeding along with my arm. She cleaned my scrapes and then applied red medicine. As I cried, she tied a red balloon to my wrist. She said when my boo-boo started to hurt to pull on the string and my pain would go away. I stopped crying as I looked at the balloon. I tugged on the balloon several times throughout the day. The party was fun and I forgot about my scrapes.

As I became older, the red balloon which became my safety blanket as a child

reappeared because of the many loses I was experiencing. My daughter and friend had to pop it before I floated away. The red balloon had taken me from a child, teenager and now senior. A couple of months ago, I released it, for someone who may need it. If you see a floating red balloon catch it and tie it to your wrist. It will help you through the tough times.

Let me leave you with this quote - As they say, you may not end of where you thought you were going,  but you will always end up where you were meant to be.

In memory of Mom – My kitchen is for DANCING

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