I’m not sure why, but I have always had a deep love for balloons. Sure, they might get in the way, cause accidents, and pop in the most inappropriate places, but they could always make me feel safe and calm. The first time I lost a balloon to the sky, I was five years old and I cried for hours. I asked my mom where it was going, would it ever be back, and would it be safe. It was quite silly, REALLY. Let yourself go, and learn how to free yourself.
But this mentality makes a lot of sense to me now. Until I hit my mid 20’s, I was always afraid to let go, afraid of the unknown. I liked everything in my life to be grounded, just like a tied up balloon. Safe. Comfortable. I could not enter my first relationship, move away from home, or commit to a career because I was terrified of the unknown. If I’m like a balloon and I let myself go, what if I hit a tree? What if I pop? What if I collide with another balloon?
Learn to Free Yourself
But, I’ve learned that all balloons deflate or pop. Likewise, one day we will all pass away. If we stay grounded our whole lives, is that really living? Is that really reaching our full potential, our final destination? If we are all going to pop or deflate anyways, shouldn’t we be soaring while we wait? Sure, there is a risk in flying. While we are soaring the sky, we might get tangled in a tree or poked by others, but that doesn’t mean it has to debilitate or frighten us. We might be blown every which way, ending up lost or confused. We might even fail. But what about the sights we will see, the adventures we will take, and experiences we will have? We might even collide with other balloons just like us, and maybe we will get tangled up to continue our journey together
I still love balloons, but for different reasons. it’s not for their security or their ability to be tied down. Instead, I love them for their potential. For my potential. I’m still not a huge risk taker, but I’m no longer scared of flying. In fact, if you look up into the sky sometime – you may see my balloon finally floating above the clouds. I’m not aware where I’ll be floating, where I’ll end up, or where I’ll deflate. I don’t even know what objects and obstacles I will encounter along the way. But I’m not afraid.
I’m Not Afraid Anymore
Ironically, a few years ago I was with my mom getting balloons for my nephew’s birthday party. One of them slipped away, out the car and into the sky. This time, I looked up and smiled. I wasn’t frightened or worried about it’s safety or it’s journey. It was free. We can’t be afraid to be free, to soar, to live life like a balloon.
Babes, if you never let yourself go, you’ll never know how far you can rise.
