#RedBalloonsForRyan

There has been an influx of red balloon themed instagrams this past week. Out of curiosity, I clicked on one of the pictures that led me to the origin of #RedBallonsForRyan🎈🎈🎈. One week ago tomorrow there was a 3 year old curly red haired little boy who was killed suddenly by a truck when he ran into the street to retrieve a frisbee. The grief I feel for this family is as heavy as a torrential downpour as I go through the pictures of the once happy and charismatically beautiful family. There was something absolutely special about this little boy that has struck a chord with not only me, but a whole community of strangers (over 50k at last count). Perhaps in part by the poignant and intimately precious photography of the mother, we all as a whole in the mommy community seem to be banding together to offer some sort of unification of solace, a holding up of hearts and prayers to a mother with whom we don't personally know - but all know inside. This past week has been a blunt reminder of the wake up call of how precious the time is with our children, and how much the lack of presence from our children can destroy us. It is in the same breath, an affirmation that there really is goodness on this earth, and a confirmation of the porcelean fragility of our being. It is also in this same week that I caught myself, under the clouds of a flu bug and too tired to do much playing and activity time with my 2 3/4 year old. It was a reality smack that brought me back from my doldrums of DayQuil. What time I have with my healthy and beautiful toddler is more precious than words and even his whining and tantrums sound more like a symphony than an annoyance. How lucky am I to be sitting here with him asleep by my side, peacefully dreaming of Mickey Mouse and magic trains? I am so grateful for him. I love my son more than I ever thought imaginable. 

Mothers Day is in a couple days. I will have a lovely lunch with my two favorite guys, and a free keepsake photograph and shopping, to boot...but I can also guarantee you that I will also have 3 little red balloons in my mind. 1 to signify the memory of a life all too quickly taken. 1 to signify the humility I must hold daily for the gracefulness of my son being here, healthy, and strong. And 1 for all the people out there who touched my heart by taking the time to reach out and give to a family not of their own. Humanity has a way of getting you down. And sometimes, little curly red haired angels have such an impact as to change the lives of people for all the days of their lives. 🎈🎈🎈 #RedBalloonsForRyan