Balloons in the Sky

(Events from August 8, 2009)*

Several hours following the wedding ceremony, the entire group found themselves milling around the backyard of the bride’s mother’s house. The yard gave off many signs of being well kept: the grass looked healthy, green, and cut to an even length; roses grew tall in a restricted space, greeting the sky with their bright red petals; an apple tree bearing tons of unripe fruit lay to the right; hedges neatly trimmed; a few thin-tree-like dicots cut back to make room for a red painted wooden table; the list continues. The moment involved clouds beginning to cover the sky and the group showing the initial signs of boredom.

Just then, a woman walked out of the house and began handing out tan note-cards with a hole punched into one corner. One side of the card listed the bride and groom’s address while the other side gave the date and said “Just Married.” The woman instructed the entire group to write a wish/message/picture/etc. on the card. I did as told, decorating my card with a short note and drawings of various objects that came to mind.















After everyone finished this task, several other people came out of the house and started handing variously-colored helium-filled balloons to the recent writers. Tied to the end of each balloon was a single dangling string. Following the next instructions, I tied my card to a blue balloon. When everyone finished this task, the whole crowd stood up and gathered on the lawn.

With a “Hip-hip! Hooray!**,” everyone simultaneously released their balloons into the cloudy, breezy sky.



















They rose and rose—their route of flight at the whim of the incoming breeze. To watch 60-something balloons fly away drew an indelible picture into my mind. 60-something balloons, wishes, hopes, and drawings. Perhaps we’ll hear from them but I have my doubts. As I stopped to ponder, the wedding festivities continued…

*This entry was written on August 8, 2009. However, I had no internet connection so the posting has been delayed.
**I don’t recall the exact phrase used, but the effect is the same; we all released the balloons at the same time.