• BY J.R. ORTEGA - JRORTEGA@VICAD.COM
• Originally published October 15, 2009 at 5:51 p.m., updated October 15, 2009 at 11:55 p.m.

• The Compassionate Friends local chapter

  Contact: Linda Goss, chapter chair, lgoss@voatx.org

  Meeting: The Compassionate Friends meets from 7 - 8:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month at the First Methodist Church, 407 N Bridge St.

  IF YOU ...

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The Compassionate Friends local chapter

Contact: Linda Goss, chapter chair, lgoss@voatx.org

Meeting: The Compassionate Friends meets from 7 - 8:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month at the First Methodist Church, 407 N Bridge St.

IF YOU GO

What: Balloon Release

Where: Rose Garden at Riverside Park

When: 4 p.m., Saturday

Sometimes Linda Goss likes to just eat pizza and drink a Dr Pepper - that is what her son liked to do.

Jonathan, her son, died in a car wreck in 1995, leaving Goss with just 18 years of memories.

Goss and other parents, grandparents and families who have lost a child to any type of death will release balloons of all shapes, sizes and colors at the Rose Garden at Riverside Park, Saturday.

"It's just one more way that we're able to keep our child's name and memory current," said Goss, who is chair of The Compassionate Friends, the group sponsoring the balloon release.

Those who have lost a child, grandchild or sibling are encouraged to write a note to that person, attach it to the balloon and release it.

In the past, some families have brought their own balloons to release.

This year, Goss expects at least 20 people, she said.

Some families will read poems and tell stories to recognize their loved one prior to the balloon release, she said.

"This is something that's very different from losing someone else," she said.

Goss has lost her parents, husband and her son. She said nothing compares to losing her son.

There has been times where a green 4Runner, like the one he drove, will park next to her and she'll instantly think of her son, she said.

She can't even remember what car her parents drove, she added.

"It's something you don't want to forget and it's something where you want to say their name, you want to write their name and you want to keep them in your life," she said.

The ceremony and release of the balloons becomes so symbolic that if a balloon gets stuck in a tree, it may cause the family to panic and cry.

Each person grieves differently, Goss said.

That is why The Compassionate Friends does not teach people how to grieve, it only listens, she said.

Goss still remembers when she first called The Compassionate Friends.

She hopes others who have lost a child also seek out the comfort she has found, she said.

"I didn't want anyone to tell me how to feel. I just wanted support," she said. "I just wanted compassion."

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