You Are Never Alone

A creamy, sky blue balloon is swirling up into the atmosphere. The balloon glides up into the ocean of sky carelessly letting itself be carried by the gentle gust of wind. Sunshine gleams off of the satin finish of the cerulean globe. As it gently rises higher from the ground a little boy is left deep in thought.
The little boy had wandered off from recess looking at the nature surrounding him. He was hypnotized by all of the evergreens and glassy puddles and the living creatures inhabiting them. Then he suddenly came across a magnificent find. Someone had tied a beautiful balloon to a big, gray, boulder and it seemed to be waiting there for him. The appearance of it was slightly faded as if it had spent quite a while there. The boy was surprised that no one else had bothered to remove the orb from its quiet surroundings. Excitedly, he inspected every facet of his new treasure. He felt the smooth surface and dusted off the film of dirt that took away the sheen. After he polished the balloon he caught a light scent of latex and stood back to see that the once somewhat shabby looking balloon looked like it was brand new from the county fair. He decided that the balloon needed some new ribbon to show off its newfound beauty. The boy gazed out toward the horizon and saw that it was growing dark. He went home planning to return to his work. The balloon dreamt of the wonders that tomorrow would bring.
The little boy managed to slink away out of the teacher’s sight again the next day with the ribbon in his pocket. He was pleased to see the balloon silently awaiting him. Upon sighting the boy, the balloon seemed to jump with excitement. The dirty, worn out ribbon was replaced with a shining, crisp white ribbon. The balloon beamed with appreciation for the blessed restoration. The boy took in his new creation and it brought a warm smile to his face and he almost went to retrieve his friends to behold the wonderful balloon, but he decided that they would not understand and that he would keep the globe a secret. He continued to study the balloon and wondered who left it, why, and if they were in a hurry or if they were simply careless. Or, if they valued it so much that they wanted to pass it on to somebody else and let them have the opportunity to have the feeling that they felt when it was their own.
The blue balloon felt an exquisite love for it’s new acquaintance. A love that only the lucky know. The balloon did absolutely nothing to receive this treatment. All the hate and sadness in the world seemed to vanish when the boy was around. The orb never wanted to be left alone again. However, it knew that it should not be selfish. No matter how deep the wound separation would inevitably leave.
As the boy held the balloon, he noticed a slight sagging in the balloon’s tautness. Almost as if it wanted to get out and explore the sights it had never seen before. He hesitated to think about it. That evil word. Goodbye. So short, yet so devastating. Some interpret the meaning as being temporary, others permanent. The optimistic, pessimistic divide. When he looked back at the balloon, he knew what he had to do. He waited for a few seconds and whispered some things to the balloon, secrets or insights that he and the balloon would hold between them forever. He paused, then untied the blue balloon from the rock and twisted the string in his fingers and paused again. Then he released it. The balloon seemed to drag a little at first reconsidering if it should stay behind with its new friend or journey on. Yet, like the little boy, it chose the same decision and gathered speed, ascending into the arms of the welcoming clusters of clouds. The little boy watched the blue balloon fly away until he could no longer see any trace. The balloon would never forget the warm, innocent love that was bestowed upon it for a short time.