"...For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45 NIV)

Since my remarriage, my daughter, Melissa, had not accepted her stepfather in the role of parent. There were many difficulties in the first few months. Melissa tested the boundaries and tried our patience regularly. She acted out at inappropriate times - usually in a public place to purposefully embarrass the two of us. My husband, Scott, was tired of his step-daughter's precocious behavior and was frustrated at the demands of becoming an instant father.

We had eaten at a local Italian restaurant for my daughter's 9th birthday. Melissa had been extremely difficult that day. She took forever to decide what to order then didn't eat her entree, fought with her brother over dessert, and wouldn't leave the restaurant until she received her obligatory birthday balloon (in the exact color of her choice as advertised in the newspaper flyer). After the waiter dutifully retrieved the pink latex balloon filled with helium and placed it in Melissa's hand, we left the restaurant and climbed into car and headed towards home. The balloon became a floating hazard that blocked the rear-view mirror. My husband sighed, pulled over to the side of the road, and carefully tied the balloon to the door handle on the passenger side of the car where my daughter was sitting. Then we completed our journey home in silence. I could sense his growing frustration.

The 38-year old bachelor I married was (and still is) an absolute "neat-nick", and he was having trouble adjusting to the clutter of two school age children and a new wife moving into his home. His patience was frayed from the outburst at the restaurant, and he was anxious to get home and find a moment's solitude (which was now an increasingly rare commodity in his heretofore peaceful bachelor's home).

When we pulled into the garage, Melissa carried her packages into the house and became distracted by playing with her gifts. Scott was irritated that, after having placed so much importance on getting a balloon of a particular color before leaving the restaurant, Melissa hadn't even bothered to remove the balloon from the car and take it upstairs to her bedroom. Scott pulled his pocketknife from his trousers and opened the blade. He muttered angrily, "She just had to have it!" Scott stabbed the balloon with the blade of his knife, untied it from the handle of the car door, crumpled the balloon into a knot, and threw it in the trash.

Melissa returned to the garage just in time to witness the murder of her birthday balloon. She froze in disbelief and horror, perceiving the death of the balloon to be a sinister act. Melissa was convinced that her stepfather was, indeed, a villain. She ran past me, shouting hysterically, "Mom, he popped my balloon! He popped my balloon!" Melissa raced upstairs, threw her body on the bed and sobbed uncontrollably.

"How could you do that?" I scolded. He shrugged his shoulders and raised his hands in exasperation. My husband was guilty of reacting too quickly. In his haste to clear out the car, he failed to realize that sometimes children need prompting to complete tasks, such as picking up after themselves. Annoyed, I trudged upstairs to calm my daughter. My husband left the driveway in the van. I presumed he "fled the scene" to settle his nerves. It had been a very trying day!

A few minutes later, I persuaded Melissa to come downstairs to the kitchen and have a glass of milk. When my husband returned home, he entered through the kitchen door, carrying a pink heart-shaped balloon that read, "Happy Birthday With Love." Scott knelt beside Melissa's chair and said, "I'm sorry." He presented the balloon to Melissa, whose tear-streaked face brightened with a surprised smile. My husband continued his apology to Melissa, "I assumed you didn't want your balloon because you left it in the car. I am sorry that I broke something that was special to you. You know, Melissa, you will have some disappointments in life along the way, but your Mom and I will always be here for you. And although we may not be able to provide all things, we will always provide love; on that you can depend." Melissa threw her arms around Scott in a big bear hug.

It was the same big hug Melissa gave her step-dad when she graduated from high school. While cleaning her old room, I found the pink heart-shaped balloon carefully folded and tucked in the corner of her keepsake drawer. I remembered Melissa's 9th birthday and how much that we had all grown as a family in the years that followed.

A dad's love never deflates, although his patience might! Melissa's step-dad is readily available by telephone to talk her through how to change a flat tire on the car she drives back-and-forth to the university; and he is always there to lift her spirits when the rigors of college studies frustrate her. Their friendship has grown from its antagonistic beginnings into one of mutual love, trust, and respect - and to think it all began with a burst balloon!

Copyright © 2001 by Sharla Taylor