5 and Up

James has a lot of balloons.

They’re where he keeps his memories.

Grandpa has a lot of balloons. Birthdays and long-ago summers, weddings and special camping trips – Grandpa’s balloons hold so many great stories. James loves to hear them all.

But when Grandpa’s balloons start drifting away, James wants to catch them, but he can’t.

On the Goodreads website, this book is described as ‘What’s Happening to Grandpa meets Up’. There’s also a connection to the movie Inside Out, the memory orbs being like the memory balloons.

This book is a perfect way to explain to someone young what happens when an older relative starts to lose their memory.

It was really sad watching my grandpa’s mind slip away. It’s like he wasn’t even there. When I was in elementary school, he was the funny guy in short shorts walking me to my class. He was the guy sitting out in our hot tub, long distance calling Ohio and hanging out with my dog. He was the guy who would stand next to a snowman wearing nothing but a speedo.

I have this picture of prove it:

He was a funny guy. I miss him.

I found this quote said by British comedian Russell Howard that I believe sums up what a grandpa truly is:

“Grandads are mystical, aren’t they? They arrive when you’re two. “Hello. I’m your grandad. I’ll be the funniest thing in your life for the next fifteen years and then I will go mental.”

This week’s Weird but True Fact about Improving you Memory

Lifting weights may improve your memory.