“Children are like a balloon

with a message inside.

They start out  small and

we inflate them with something

of ourselves.

As we pour our lives into them--

They spread sunshine

and give joy.

They remind us of being young

          and that life is fragile.

They celebrate living.

When discouraged,

They are like a balloon that deflates.

A simple openness

allows us to refill them....

With hope for the future,

    a feeling that they are special,

And the knowledge that God loves them.

Their enthusiasm is like a balloon

   carried on the wind

with never ending energy.

They need our prayers

  and loving guidance,

without the wrong kind of pressure

That might cause them to burst.

When filled with courage,

a sense of connections,

and the knowledge that they count,

They will soar high into the air,

when the string is out.

But too many never make it off the ground.”