Thank you

Today I am writing a thank you note to a stranger who took the time to make my child smile.  Actually this could be to two people that took the time to make my child smile, heck many people who took the time to make him smile.  But I get ahead of myself.

Kodi and I went to the grocery store this afternoon.  We use the bank in the store so we went there first.  Kodi was going crazy over all of the 4th of July decorations.  The teller, not the one that was helping us, came back with a wonderful red balloon for Kodi.  He was thrilled!  What is better than a balloon.  Umm, pretty much nothing.

I tied the loop the man made around Kodi’s wrist and we went off our merry way.  Actually having a balloon while shopping was much easier, even easier than when you feed them cookies while you shop.  But my little scientist kept fiddling with the loop on his wrist.  So I tried to adjust it so it was more comfortable, and I thought I did.  Then he was moving and pulling merrily on the balloon… well we know where this goes.. The balloon, floats up.  We try to get it, another man tries to be speedy… but we fail.  Kodi looks at me, like “Get it.” And I say to him “Kodi the balloon is gone, wave bye bye to the balloon, we will see it as we walk through the store and wave.”  But it was a sad movement.

So we go off on our way.  My child wasn’t sad, it was just what it was, a lost ballon.  He is still a bit too young to be upset for too long.  Then the man, that tired to get the balloon, shows up with a BIG Shinny Fish ballon!  WOW!  He was so proud to give this to Kodi.  I thanked him.  I thought he just went to get one to let us play, so when we were checking out I put the balloon back at the check out with the other big shinny ballons.  One of the clerks says to me “Mama, that man bought that ballon.”  WHAT!  I was nice to him about giving us the ballon but I didn’t act like he BOUGHT the balloon!

So this note is to the man I will never see again– here is a proper thank you.  Thank you for making my child smile.  Thank you for the nice big shinny balloon!

But, I also owe another man a thank you, the bank teller that gave Kodi the big red balloon.  As I walk out of the store, the teller looked at me like I had cheated on him.  I mean here I was sporting ANOTHER balloon.  I said “I lost the red one and a man saw it and bought him this one!”

But maybe the balloon is more than just a balloon, maybe it means everything about childhood.  Simple things and simple joys.  Or maybe the loss of the balloon we can all relate to, sometimes things goes away and you can’t no matter what get it back.  Life is ephemeral like a balloon, but a child’s smile, well, that is eternal.

The balloon is now is Kodi’s bed room keeping him company and hopefully helping him have wonderful dreams.