One day as you sit in the living room chair, something catches your eye. It’s the balloon your friends got for your birthday. You close your eyes and remember how it looked when you first saw it. It was decorated by a colorful confetti pattern, so full of helium it looked like it was puffing out an imaginary chest. It was barely holding on to the ground with the clip around its string. It sat in the middle of you and all your friends, a center piece to the smiles you all shared. ‘Happy Birthday!!!’ it read, words surrounded by small smiley faces. It was cheesy, sure, but it made you feel appreciated. You open your eyes and look at the balloon again, now months away from that lovely day. The balloon has deflated, unable to lift itself off the ground or stay in the air. It sags into the floor against the wall, almost as if the balloon has let out a final sigh to signal its end. You slump back into your chair, alone in your house, mimicking the balloon. Your friends are no longer here to smile with you, and so you stare at the it. ‘Happy Birthday!!!’ it once read. It cannot smile anymore, and you can’t remember the last time you did.