BALLOONS
The social nature of balloons - brightly colored rubber sacs inflated with air and then sealed at the neck - produce pleasure, contributing generally to cheerful moods in which one is inclined to laugh. The favorable effect of these brightly colored decorations or children's toys is one that makes us more attuned to comic pleasure. The way in which a balloon swells out in a spherical shape instinctively causes expressions of lively amusement.
Giving a bouquet of ballons underscores the notion that balloon giving is a social activity, a social phenomenon. Rarely are balloons given in times of sorrow or as a corrective (i.e., directed against someone). In this sense, balloons represent communal, social events that promote solidarity and celebration. They strengthen social bonds (before they float away) and are the objects of cheerfulness.
Balloons are a universal human phenomenon, focusing upon the cheerful aspects of human life, relationships, and interactions. They put people in "a frame of mind", a manner of perceiving and experiencing life... a kind of outlook that has great therapeutic power - something to consider the next time someone you know needs a little cheering up.
