Ripples.
As teachers, we tell our students that a simple smile, word, or act of kindness can create a ripple effect that goes out into the world and makes an unimaginable difference.
We say it, we wear it, we preach it... but to experience it?
Well that's something awe-inspiring, I've recently learned.
In July of this summer, I had a silly idea to cheer up a friend's son.
She had recently and shockingly been diagnosed with cancer, and her life was understandably turned upside down.
Like all of her family, friends, and the community, I was shocked, saddened, and plainly put, terrified for her.
I readied myself to take part in their meal train or send gift cards in the mail, but then-
She posted that her five year old son, Quin, was greatly struggling emotionally and behaviorally.
With the news, with Mommy being gone, with it all.
At just five years old, the same age as my own son.
Pray for him, she asked.
And I did- but after a little thought, I also came up with a silly idea to leave him a balloon on their mailbox every so often.
To cheer him up, to give to his Mom when she was in the hospital- whatever, I thought. Kids love balloons, right?!
And so I attached a note, called myself a goofy name, got my kids in on the fun, and used it as a way to discuss cancer and acts of kindness with them.
As I drove over that first time with the balloon, I remember thinking, "Is this stupid?"
What if they think it's weird that I continue to do this? What if it almost brings too much attention to her sickness once he starts to adjust and forget about it?
What the hell, I thought.
My kids were too excited, and I went with my gut.
And I've never been so happy I did.
Weeks later, after Mrs. Dana Dirkes started posting thanks and appreciation for the mysterious balloons bringing little Quin so much joy on her facebook page, I smiled and told my kids how helpful we were being to someone who had been sad.
About a month in (and a few balloons later), I realized I would need to bring a friend on board because I was heading on vacation.
I knew this was right up Annie Nelson Ours' alley.
A dear and longtime friend of Dana's herself, she also had young kids and just generally exuded positivity and love like only a first grade teacher could.
She ate it up when I texted her, and after her first "balloon bop", offered to split weeks with me since she and her kids had enjoyed it so much.
And so went the "Balloon Bopping".
It honestly became so much fun to don disguises and creep through subdivision streets at night with our lights off, pumping gangster rap to fuel our bizarre secret mission.
Our text threads from the last four months resemble a mix of anxiety, love, crime, and hilarity.
And while the joy and fun were one side of the whole "Balloon Bopper" experience on our end, there was clearly a more serious side.
At some point, Dana's posts about the impact the balloons were having on Quin and her family slowly began to be more detailed and emotional.
She posted direct letters to the mysterious "Bopper", describing the utter joy these simple balloons and trinkets were bringing their family in the midst of their difficult time.
I'd read each post with tears in my eyes, shocked that this tiny little gesture had become something so impactful.
Even at 36 years old, it was like I was only now really realizing what we preached to our students couldn't be more true.
Ripples.
It turned out, even I had needed the real-life lesson to see it.
And if I did, I felt like others did.
I sat on the bizarre desire to somehow share the "Balloon Bopper" story with others (while still somehow not outing our identity until Dana's chemo treatments were finished) for weeks before finally caving in.
After spending an evening sick and tired of scrolling through a barrage of political crap and negativity on my newsfeed, I decided gosh darnit, this world needs more LOVE, KINDNESS, and INSPIRATION.
So pushing aside the concern of looking selfish down the road, I reached out to one of the sites I frequently write for, Her View From Home.
They are a ridiculously positive place on this little internet we all call home, always ONLY looking to spread love, kindness, positivity, and support for women and families. The women writers there are some sort of digital tribe of cheerleaders I can't completely describe, and I knew they would be both lovely and frank with me.
"Could this be a story?" I asked.
And "Yes," I said,
"I'm totally seemingly plugging my own good deed and idea and I know that seems weird," I added.
But a lesson is here.
Ripples.
My dear writer friends and editors from Her View agreed wholeheartedly, commenting that this simple story HAD to be shared, and that this was exactly what we were striving to spread.
To create MORE ripples.
And so that's how I found myself spending an hour one evening trying to figure out how to word my initial message to Dana asking if I could write this little story up- while not revealing Annie and myself as the boppers.
Hello ANXIETY. I'm Ashley. Let's be best friends for the next several months.
I somehow did it, only to have Dana respond with an unequivocal "YES!"
Why?
Because she was in the the throws of starting a Balloon Bopper non-profit to bop future kids of parents with serious illnesses.
Ripples.
Cue more tears.
So many more tears.
I wrote back for days gathering information for the story, nearly revealing myself so many times- both accidently and on purpose in moments of "I can't hold this in anymore!".
I cried so much in those few days, as she shared about not only the impact of the Balloon Bopper, but also of her diagnosis and cancer story.
Stuff she hadn't posted on facebook publically.
Raw stuff.
Weeks later, and many balloons later, the story ran.
I sat back reading comments and marveling at Dana's efforts to pay it forward.
In the midst of chemotherapy treatments, sickness, and raising two children, she managed to start up a GoFundMe page, design a logo, flier, and shirt for the Balloon Bopper organization, and had professional photos taken of her family with all of the balloons (for both memory sake and advertisement sake).
She was and continues to be, FREAKING REMARKABLE.
And as I marveled at this lovely woman, her GoFundMe took off, other friends stepped up to collect money through their various businesses, and two local news stations covered the story, interviewing Dana and her husband in their home.
I ugly cried Kim Kardashian style (as did Annie and all of Northern Kentucky) watching the news pieces as she spoke through tears about the impact the balloons had had on her family and Quin, and about her plans to pay it forward.
Because- RIPPLES.
So shock, love, tears, anxiety, so many lies (sorry about that Dana and a few others🤣), and twenty-two plus balloons later, here we are.
We couldn't quite possibly keep this secret any longer, as Annie and I are bursting at the seams to help you in this future endeavor Dana.
So friends, family, neighbors, and strangers-
Share the smile. Say the words. Do the act.
And be the kindness- even if you think it may be too much or too little.
What seemed kind of silly and very small in the grand scheme of things to me in July has created ripples I never could have imagined.
And I've never been happier I went with my gut.