A Balloon at Safeway: The Inevitable Outcome

Today a very nice lady gave the kids balloons while we were at Safeway. They were very excited, and I was very wary: this never usually ends well. Lizzy FINALLY will let me tie the balloon string around her wrist, and there is a high likelihood the balloon will actually make it home. Peter......all bets are off. He won't tie it around his wrist and insists upon holding on to the string, which is great.....until he forgets and it flies away and the predictable panic and hysteria result. This exact scenario unfolded in produce, except a kindly produce man stepped in and was able to run and jump and just reach the balloon string and, like the hero he was, had it back to Peter! Success, you are so sweet, yet so fleeting! Barely two minutes later off flew the balloon in the meat area and, due to the higher ceilings, was out of reach, but still so frustratingly close, a total teaser, right beyond our grasp. Oh poor Peter, crying and reaching up for his balloon, not understanding why it wouldn't come down! This could have been the sad ending to our balloon saga, but because Peter is so lucky, and has such a very nice big sister, Lizzy stepped in right away and said, "Here Peter! You can hold on to part of my balloon! You can have this part of the string and we can share." And because Peter is so agreeable, and easily loves any suggestion his sister makes, he grabbed right on and was happy as could be the rest of the time. And as those two little ones meandered around, clutching onto their piece of the string, a single balloon bobbing between them, I was the only one that knew that on this day we won the balloon battle and kindness and generosity won out over the finicky fleetingness of balloons.