This is the story of how an entire town sold out of red balloons and people began making runs to neighboring towns to purchase them and then just tying red ribbon around trees and lamp poles, placing red wind spinners outside, and wearing red shirts as they walked around town in order to stand with a family who lost their ten year old son in a 4 wheeler accident. The family asked that businesses in town fly red balloons in honor of their son whose favorite color was red. The nursing home i work for put out red balloons and red ribbons. As i drove around town i realized that nearly every business had put out something red, even if they didnt have balloons. Every motorcyclist seemed to be wearing a red shirt. Someone had tied red balloons and red ribbons on the pedestrian bridge stretching over the creek. I didnt know him but the boy sounded like a very joyful, loving, and selfless little dude. No one can know why these things happen but i like to think he is in heaven with our Lord looking down on a town full of red balloons.
Update: The local grocery is now supplied with red balloons and has placed bunches of five red balloons inflated with helium in the floral department bagged and ready to go.