Birthday Balloons

We always get balloons for Clara's birthday. For past birthdays, it has simply been for decoration for her party. On her first birthday, as the party was dying down I looked around at all the balloons and asked what was I going to do with them all. My mother suggested we let them go -- and so, a tradition was born. We have let balloons go each year since then, and even on Jonathan's birthday last year. This year, being so far away from family and friends and with Chris being gone, I was upset that our usual get-together was not going to happen -- and with no party, there was no reason to decorate. Still, I didn't want to let go of this tradition. We went to the Hallmark store and somehow I managed to ask for the balloons without Clara guessing why we were there. They went in the back to blow them up, so it wasn't until I told Clara to get them that she realized the balloons were for her. She was so excited to have balloons afterall, and she remembered on her own that we would let them go. Though, I had to convince her to wait until we got home. Jonathan, however, was not as excited about letting the balloons fly away.