Precious Purple Balloon

Yesterday I was privileged to witness one of the most joyful things I have seen in a long time. I was walking down the gangway. A four year old boy, dressed in a hospital gown and underoos, waddles down in front of me.

He refused to grab the railing because the most important thing to him is the balloon he is carrying. It took him a while, but he finally made it to the dock. He lifted his balloon up triumphantly, his face showing only victory and joy. It was in that moment, the wind blew and he lost his grip on the precious gift. It took him a second to realize the tragedy of the situation but he soon when running after his prized possession: the purple balloon.

While all of this was going on – one of our local Guinean guards was watching this boy very carefully. He was enjoying seeing the boy so happy with his balloon. The guard saw the balloon take flight and immediately ran to catch the balloon for the boy. He quickly passed the 4 year old and charged after this boy’s happiness as it floated away. The boy just stopped and stared at this man sprinting after the balloon.

By the time the guard reached the balloon it was at the fence and blowing towards the barbed wire. As the purple balloon intertwined with the barbed wire the guard plunged both hands into the wire trying to protect the balloon from popping.

It was a success! He freed the balloon and ran back and gave it to the boy who was now cheering on his champion for saving his precious purple balloon.

It was something so simple. It was something so precious. It was definitely something that has made me smile for days and that makes me appreciate our guards even more.