Release

It is always fun to receive flowers. No matter what they say about the flowers dying quickly or being substituted by a plant or something else that lives longer. I mean, everything perishes eventually, so enjoy the creation just for the 'blink and wither' beauty they offer. In a way flowers are metaphorically there to remind me the transience of everything around! Speaking of transience, I have to mention the trigger of this ponder - we received flowers for the Man of the house's birthday. The two of us, namely the second in birth order and yours truly got them to the table with a grin plastered ear to ear, as the arrangement looked yummy and had a couple of balloons attached to them, to boot. Now throw in some yummy flowers and colorful balloons and that's got to be the definition to a party alright.  Cake, is customary, but we can make it optional as and when the situation demands.

We soon discovered that they were literally yummy - these flowers. Now, I didn't use 'Literally' figuratively like it is being used lately, but these were literal 'edible' arrangements. Bits of fruits cut like assorted flowers and topped with colorful sprinkles on dipped melted chocolate. Me, being the intuitive being that I was, knew in a jiffy that the rest of the two members of the family would just have a pictorial evidence of this consumable piece of work. So I clicked a pic and promptly got to devouring the bouquet. When it comes to fruit, there is little one can do to compete with the resident fruit monster aka the second born, so I let her have her easy win while I nibbled on pineapples cut like daffodils and honeydews lending them the green leaf company.

Once the basic instinct to fill the bellies was taken care of, we settled comfortably in the couch, kicking around the helium balloons to address the entertainment that nourished bodies seek. Now that's where the title and the picture prop for this rattling would come into play, if you are still with me and wondering where this is all up to, and if this was really a plot hole. Nay not so people. this isn't such. The balloons kept finding the ceilings once in a while and the living dining space that opens to the second level wasn't a very conducive arrangement to pull them back against gravity. But it was entertaining all the same. It is amazing how a simple ole helium balloon still stays relevant in keeping the human monkey occupied in the time of high flying virtual gadgets that keep us hooked. The timepass we both got out these things was outstanding. Eventually, we put some weights at the end of the strings and let them be accessible for the next time we wanted them to be our playmates.

And like all things that have their up and down graph, these balloons succumbed to their downward curve. They didn't still lose their ability to defy gravity mind you - they just lost their ability to hold the interest of the three year old and her mom that lost count of how old she is due to early onset of age related amnesia. And did you hear them say "Necessity is the mother of invention"? Trust me people, it is a tried and tested adage and how do I know you might ask - it is just because I was one of the participants of the lab testing for that adage. So, obviously, you need to be on the top of your game to keep an antsy, hyperactive toddler engaged for the day, specially when you, in all your old fashioned glory would guard the said toddler from screens of all shapes and sizes. As I saw the two forlorn balloons in the corner, the flash of the light bulb got lit from within. I collected the balloons in one hand and said "Do you want to say bye bye to the balloons and let them go in the sky?" 
"In the sky?" came a question for the question. She did a slight turn askance looking like a confused puppy and complied. Quickly we parked ourselves comfy on the garden bench in the front yard and did our final good byes to the balloon duo. I know, such dramatics are very necessary in toddler care giving. They work like a charm.

We gently let the balloons go and watched them lazily drift into the sky, first it was above the neighborhood ever green, then a thousand feet above. We both cranked our necks till we could see specks of the balloons rising up and up. A part of me wondered if she'd ask for them again and what the plan B for that situation should be. Luckily, she seemed to be absolutely at peace with the let go. It kind of made me ponder if kids are our actual spiritual gurus in the way they live their lives - feisty, spirited and in the moment, not lamenting too long on the hold ons...I wished that let go for the grown up world, where each of us, absolutely move on from the clings we experience once in a while and release all the fears, the bad experiences and the hurts like they were just balloons. 

Well, wishful thinking is a thing and hope trumps in human existence.

pic courtesy - Poster of Disney Pixar's animated feature UP.