Birthday Thank You
If you do not know, when I was five years old my mother had to work on my birthday. She was a single parent at the time, and she was very sad to have to work. But we talked about it, and she arranged to have a wonderful all-day party for me, sponsored by some of her closest girlfriends of the time. We had a lovely time, and about an hour or so before my mother was supposed to be home, I looked out the window and a couple of blocks away there was a large hot air balloon going up and down, up and down, up and down. So we agreed to go check it out. It turned out they were giving away free hot air balloon rides. We were all very excited and got in line. We waited in line for about 20 minutes, all the while I was watching this giant flame burst forth and heat the air in the balloon.
Now, I come from a whole family of firefighters. My mother, uncle and grandfather were all firefighters at the time. And as I watched that balloon go up and down, I started to suspect that it was not the safest thing in the world to have a giant open flame next to delicate fabric. I could easily see that there had been many safe trips up and down up and down, but I began to question whether or not my chaperones and I were authorized to decide whether I could go up in the balloon. It just did not seem like a decision a five year old makes with her chaperones when her mother and uncle and grandfather are all firefighters. So all of my chaperone friends went on the balloon ride and then we hurried back to call my mom at work and see if it was OK for me to go on. In fact, it was just before my mom was to get off of work -- just before 7 PM, and the balloon ride went till 8 PM, so it seemed like there was plenty of time.
However, my mother could not come to the phone because she was a nurse and she was in with a patient. So we left a message -- there is a balloon ride ending at 8 PM and your daughter wants to know if she can go on it for her birthday today. Please call right away and let us know if she can. We called a couple of times, but it was a busy night at the hospital, so eventually we just waited. And waited. And waited. And soon 10 till 8 PM rolled around and then my mother walked in the door.
And we all rushed to her and explained, and she realized she had gotten the WRONG message. She thought I had already gone, so she went and had a ride too, and then came home. But I had not had a ride on the balloon, so she swooped me up and ran all the way down to the balloon. But the line was gone and the people were taking the balloon down a few minutes early, and nothing would convince them to put it back up. I was very disappointed. And so was my mom.
And that is when I learned that sometimes you just have to make the best decision you can, on your own, with the information you have. And that you have to take risks, but well-thought out risks. And when I had opportunities to do somewhat risky but mostly adventurous things in the future, I did them. Like swan diving from a platform in a high ropes course. And swimming in the neutral buoyancy tank in Huntsville, and travelling on an airplane all by myself when I was 12, and travelling around India as my first overseas trip.
So back to the balloons. Well, over the years there have been several opportunities to take Hot Air balloon rides, but for one reason or another, the balloons never went up, or I never actually was able to go.
So 32 years later, here is my opportunity to go up in a hot air baloon with my mom. All thanks to you.
Now, I come from a whole family of firefighters. My mother, uncle and grandfather were all firefighters at the time. And as I watched that balloon go up and down, I started to suspect that it was not the safest thing in the world to have a giant open flame next to delicate fabric. I could easily see that there had been many safe trips up and down up and down, but I began to question whether or not my chaperones and I were authorized to decide whether I could go up in the balloon. It just did not seem like a decision a five year old makes with her chaperones when her mother and uncle and grandfather are all firefighters. So all of my chaperone friends went on the balloon ride and then we hurried back to call my mom at work and see if it was OK for me to go on. In fact, it was just before my mom was to get off of work -- just before 7 PM, and the balloon ride went till 8 PM, so it seemed like there was plenty of time.
However, my mother could not come to the phone because she was a nurse and she was in with a patient. So we left a message -- there is a balloon ride ending at 8 PM and your daughter wants to know if she can go on it for her birthday today. Please call right away and let us know if she can. We called a couple of times, but it was a busy night at the hospital, so eventually we just waited. And waited. And waited. And soon 10 till 8 PM rolled around and then my mother walked in the door.
And we all rushed to her and explained, and she realized she had gotten the WRONG message. She thought I had already gone, so she went and had a ride too, and then came home. But I had not had a ride on the balloon, so she swooped me up and ran all the way down to the balloon. But the line was gone and the people were taking the balloon down a few minutes early, and nothing would convince them to put it back up. I was very disappointed. And so was my mom.
And that is when I learned that sometimes you just have to make the best decision you can, on your own, with the information you have. And that you have to take risks, but well-thought out risks. And when I had opportunities to do somewhat risky but mostly adventurous things in the future, I did them. Like swan diving from a platform in a high ropes course. And swimming in the neutral buoyancy tank in Huntsville, and travelling on an airplane all by myself when I was 12, and travelling around India as my first overseas trip.
So back to the balloons. Well, over the years there have been several opportunities to take Hot Air balloon rides, but for one reason or another, the balloons never went up, or I never actually was able to go.
So 32 years later, here is my opportunity to go up in a hot air baloon with my mom. All thanks to you.
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