A couple years ago, my wife and I lost a baby before she was born. Her name was Lily and shes the only child we actually named before birth. We started a tradition shortly thereafter with our four other children. On special occasions and sometimes when just out some were having fun, we buy helium balloons that they can "send to Lily in heaven" so she knows we didn't forget her. Yesterday, I was leaving a local shopping mall after closing time with my 8yr, 7yr, 4yr and 8-month-old little ones. It was a windy, rainy evening. My wife was still inside paying for a few things. On the way to the car, I noticed three mylar balloons tied to a weight and sitting in the lot. Two were solid colored and full-blown, the third was not quite full of air, it was a star shaped, multi colored balloon on which "Happy Birthday" was written. Seeing that they had little or no loft, I cut the ribbons away, leaving only 3" or so for each of my oldest kids to hold while reducing the weight so that they might fly. My son remarked that it wasn't Lily's birthday, so why would she want that balloon. I said "well its just the thought that counts". The kids released their balloons and one by one they sunk to the ground! Oh well, I said, "we tried". I asked the kids to go throw the balloons in the trash barrel. A second later they are back saying they won't fit in the trash barrel. Just then, my two girls let go of their balloons almost simultaneously they being to rise into the sky. Excitedly they begin jumping and saying "its a miracle, its a miracle"! I laughed and told my son to toss his "birthday" balloon up to see if it will go. Slowly it rose, until the steady wind caught hold of it and it joined the others, struggling to gain height. We watched as they continued on their way into the grey, cloudy skies until they were barely perceptible dots. Just then my wife came out and the kids told her about the "miracle" rising balloons. The kids rushed my wife into the car because they wanted to scan the sky for the balloons on the way home. No luck spotting the balloons however.
About 20 minutes and 10 miles later, as we turned up the street where we live, the kids has all but forgotten about the balloons when I passed a neighbor's driveway... and noticed a familiar looking happy birthday balloon sitting there on the side of the street! Could it be??? No way we thought, no way that could be the balloon we released at the mall. Even if I could suspend disbelief and accept that it made it here, I'd also have to accept that it made it through the small opening in the tree canopy above this driveway in our heavily wooded neighborhood - to land within 10' of where we'd be driving by. I hit the breaks just after passing, and put the car in reverse. My son jumped out and grabbed the balloon, exclaiming as he entered the car "this is it, this is Lily's balloon". My wife, who had not seen the balloons looked at me and said, "You don't expect me to believe that this is the same balloon from the mall". Taking a look (and in somewhat disbelief), I said, "it sure looks like it; what are the odds we find a similar balloon also with only 3" of string"? She replied, "Well did you mark it or anything"? I laughed, responding "do you think I expected that it would land at home and I'd have to identify it"?!
Being an engineer, I went back in the house and went online to see a map and the wind direction from the local weather. Wind was East North-East 14mph with 20-25mph gusts. I plotted the mall parking lot and my home street the map, and there was an ENE bearing between the two! At 14mph, the balloon would have taken 27 minutes to cover the nearly 7 miles as the crow flies. My wife was in the store for at least 5 minutes after the balloons were released, and with the gusts of wind it is plausible that the balloon made it there just before we did. Well choose to believe that its a sign that Lily now watches over us all.
About 20 minutes and 10 miles later, as we turned up the street where we live, the kids has all but forgotten about the balloons when I passed a neighbor's driveway... and noticed a familiar looking happy birthday balloon sitting there on the side of the street! Could it be??? No way we thought, no way that could be the balloon we released at the mall. Even if I could suspend disbelief and accept that it made it here, I'd also have to accept that it made it through the small opening in the tree canopy above this driveway in our heavily wooded neighborhood - to land within 10' of where we'd be driving by. I hit the breaks just after passing, and put the car in reverse. My son jumped out and grabbed the balloon, exclaiming as he entered the car "this is it, this is Lily's balloon". My wife, who had not seen the balloons looked at me and said, "You don't expect me to believe that this is the same balloon from the mall". Taking a look (and in somewhat disbelief), I said, "it sure looks like it; what are the odds we find a similar balloon also with only 3" of string"? She replied, "Well did you mark it or anything"? I laughed, responding "do you think I expected that it would land at home and I'd have to identify it"?!
Being an engineer, I went back in the house and went online to see a map and the wind direction from the local weather. Wind was East North-East 14mph with 20-25mph gusts. I plotted the mall parking lot and my home street the map, and there was an ENE bearing between the two! At 14mph, the balloon would have taken 27 minutes to cover the nearly 7 miles as the crow flies. My wife was in the store for at least 5 minutes after the balloons were released, and with the gusts of wind it is plausible that the balloon made it there just before we did. Well choose to believe that its a sign that Lily now watches over us all.
