Have you ever enjoyed the presence of a balloon spirit? A helium balloon hovering in that in-between place… not quite alive and not quite dead?
There is a period of time in a helium-filled balloon’s life, usually less than 24 hours, when it hovers between life and death. And if you tune in and allow yourself the illogical notion that it could be, you may find that these in-between balloons have spirits.
Mini-Whipped turned two-years-old over a month ago and the fittest of the birthday balloons are still surviving, though not clinging to the ceiling with the same gusto. Every few days, one of them lets go of the ceiling and floats to in-between world.
In this state, the balloons have begun traveling our house, approaching us at eye level and even slowly climbing the stairs. One yellow orb seemed to have a voyeuristic bent and hovered outside a set of glass French doors peering into our bedroom for a day before accepting his final resting place on the floor.
Our weeks of witnessing the balloon lifecycle have reminded me of one of my college apartments that I am certain was haunted by a human spirit (evidence and details to be left for another story.) I was not uncomfortable then and I am not uncomfortable by our hovering visitors now.
I know, I know… you are probably thinking, “They are balloons, you idiot!” But the way they float and move and watch makes me consider that they have or are spirits. And thinking of gentle spirits reminds me that there is so much we don’t know about all of the worlds both in-between and beyond. And so, I let the helium balloons have their day or two, without a premature pop, and thank them for reminding me to find peace in the things we cannot see or do not understand.