The Hearts We Throw Away

Remember the balloon heart I spotted, a few days ago? Tonight, as I was taking out the trash bins, I spotted it once more – free from its tree, but deflated and lying in wait at the end of my driveway.

It felt like a moment of serendipity, but that’s not quite the right word. Serendipity implies a kind of happiness I think. Is there a word for chance encounters that imbue a sense of sadness as well? Because that’s what this felt like.

When all the bins were out, I realized that the balloon couldn’t just stay there on the street. So I bent over, picked up the empty heart, and placed it gently in the trash.

The whole encounter felt much sadder than one would have expected.

Related:
The Hearts We Let Go
A Thousand Abandoned Hearts, Mostly Unbroken, Logan Square
Perseverence
The Atomic Theory of Valentines