CONVERSATION WITH…A Withering Balloon…Anxious about sudden endings

/ overthehillontheyellowbrickroad

Over the Hill on the Yellow Brick Road, a withering balloon floated by. It had a clueless expression on its face, so I figured it was new in the area, as I was. I started a conversation.

balloon

Hey balloon, what brings you “Over the Hill on the Yellow Brick Road?”

WITHERING BALLOON: I drifted here. I’m not sure how I got here, and I’m not sure where I’ll be going next.

You’re not alone. In a very broad sense, the same is true of my existence.

WITHERING BALLOON: Really?

Yes. How did you end up here?

WITHERING BALLOON: Well, I used to work in a Real Estate office. I had a string tied on me, and I was attached to an “Open House” sign. The house was finally sold, so my old, worn, tattered string unraveled and I floated off on my own. Now I’m here trying to figure out where I belong in the world.

Me too.

WITHERING BALLOON: I have to say, I passed a lot of enchanting things on my way to this place. The world is absolutely incredible.

It is.

WITHERING BALLOON: I’ve had a great ride so far.

Me too.

WITHERING BALLOON: I’d like to see more.

Same here.

WITHERING BALLOON: I’d like to keep going and going and going.

So would I.

WITHERING BALLOON: But at any moment, I could pop. And that would be the end.

Well–

WITHERING BALLOON: I mean, I’ve made it this far in life, but how much longer can I possibly go on? At any moment, I could float into a sharp tree branch and burst. Or I could drift into a street lamp and I’d be gone in a flash. Or I could–

I see you’ve given this some thought.

WITHERING BALLOON: I can give you more examples.

No need. I think about it, too.

WITHERING BALLOON: So, what are we supposed to do about it?

Well, the way I see it is…there are two choices. We can continue to enjoy the beautiful ride and take in as much as we can. Or…we can obsess with when it will all be over.

WITHERING BALLOON: I wish I could just enjoy it. But anxiety runs in my family.

Mine too.

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How do you find a balance?

Copyrightoverthehillontheyellowbrickroad2018

60 thoughts on “CONVERSATION WITH…A Withering Balloon…Anxious about sudden endings”

  3. So long as I can find a silver lining (and I generally can) my balance is uncompromised. I do struggle to find the silver lining but in the end it presents itself (sometimes tenuously) and I can go on my way with a smile and a whistle. I am, by the way, extremely anxious and possibly a fish-balloon. 🐠 🎈

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    • Solid point Angela–no one gets out of this alive. So why not calm down and be part of what we’re privileged to experience? It makes sense in my head–it’s just harder to translate to my heart when I’m feeling anxious. An onging journey for me. Also–thank you for your kind thoughts about looking forward to my book. I’ll keep you updated on this blog.

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  10. I was thinking of all the people that balloon would have brought a smile to. Little kids sitting in their car seats and driving by , people looking for a new house, kids in the nearby play areas ….. As the balloon would have soared higher, the more people who would have looked at it and momentarily forgotten what they were going through.. You have lived a wonderful life, balloon!

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  11. I should have known, Cathi. I saw your site name when you liked a comment I’d made on Molly’s site. Those two things alone should have given me a clue that you share Molly’s wonderful sense of humour and fun. I write about the same concepts, but only wish that I shared in your and Molly’s imaginative and wonderfully descriptive style. I’ll follow and look forward to reading back through your archives just as soon as I have a chance.
    Karen

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    • Oops. I made a little error. I responded to your first comment (about the tea kettle) thinking you were responding to this post. The most amazing thing is, I wrote “easier said than done,” and here, you wrote the exact same phrase. I guess great minds think alike. LOL Living in the moment is the smartest choice, and hopefully we can shove all the overshadowing thoughts out of our minds so we can be in the present.

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  15. Well said….let’s enjoy the ride for as long as we can! I do think that we have to be intentional about this, though. Because when we reach a certain age, then we have to realize that we are indeed in the final phase of our life. And it’s easy to be afraid of that and to obsess about it. But all we can do is just keep on living life as fully as we can.

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  21. Some of your followers should meet my mom, maybe form a club or something like Worriers Anonymous. I was one of you for a very long time but have given it up for retirement.

    I generally kept my worries to myself. I don’t mind so much that Mom still worries, I just wish she wouldn’t share her worries, especially about my adult kids (who are forever and always her only “jewels’), with me. At least she has finally learned not to share those worries with them!

    I’ll share with you and anyone else who may see this a quote a got from one of those “saying per day” calendars. I think it’s overarching subject was “Murphy’s Laws” or something like that. I first came across it probably thirty or so years ago, and shared it especially with my late dad, who also kept his worries to himself. “Worrying about something that may never happen is like paying interest on a debt you may never owe.” Maybe this will help you sometime?

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    • Thanks so much for your honest comment. I think the worrying issue sometimes stems from the way a person has been wired all his/her life. In my case, I’ve always been a professional worrier so it’s hard to stop. But! I’m hoping at this phase of my life I can be more mindful of it and turn it off. You’re right, it doesn’t pay to worry about things that might not ever happen and that we certainly can’t control. Thanks for sharing your heartfelt and helpful thoughts.

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