RED AND BLUE
BALLOONS
By Andrea Gaul
S
aturday is traditionally a time for family, a time for great food, and lots of fun. Kids play,
dogs bark, and mom and dad scurry to cook, clean, catch up, cater to kids, and seek
even the slightest opportunity for rest. On Saturday, April 26, 2014, however, the Lunoff
family was forever changed. Tracy lost a co-parent, Ron lost a friend, and Hannah lost a
father. Richard may be gone, but this “modern family” is not easily broken. The bond, both
heartbreaking and beautiful, is in the balloons.
Richard Lunoff died last April after undergoing his sixth open-heart surgery, a procedure
that took a grueling 14 hours. He was born with Truncus Arteriosus, a congenital heart
defect, and the need for frequent open-heart surgery was the nature of his condition.
After spending 53 days in intensive care following the surgery, Richard passed away.
“The loss of a parent is one that I thought I would never have to explain to Hannah,”
Tracy said. “How do you tell your child their father has gone to heaven… that she’ll never
see him ever again?”
could possibly give.” It was at that moment
Tracy knew they were right for each other.
One year later, at the Commitment Day
5K, Ron proposed, and Tracy happily said
‘yes.’
The very first phone call Tracy made to
share the exciting news was to Hannah and
Richard. “I shared my story (with Ron) of my
relationship and friendship with Richard,
which is unconventional in most eyes as a
divorced couple,” Tracy began. “But he
was my co-parent and for the benefit of
our daughter, we were friends.” Ron was
very understanding. He could see how well
Tracy and Richard were married seven years before deciding they were better together
as co-parents and friends. “Hannah was always our priority,” Tracy said. “We even
duplicated her room in each other’s home so her environment looked exactly the same
regardless of the address.” Even after the divorce, Tracy and Richard attended school
events, birthday parties and holidays together to create normalcy for their daughter.
“I was a single mom. It was hard. It took a lot of juggling,” Tracy began. “My priorities
shifted to supporting Hannah and myself.” Tracy explained that being a single mom and
attempting to re-enter the dating scene at 35 was quite an experience. Though it was
difficult, Tracy never gave up. “I knew in this great big world, there was someone out there
for me… someone that could be my supporter, lover, and friend… who could bring a smile
to my face and warmth to my heart.”
After two years of patiently waiting, Tracy
found that “someone.” Ron and Tracy
first met at the Commitment Day 5K in
Austin on January 1, 2013. “During our first
conversations, I told Ron that I was looking
for someone that could sweep me off my
feet, hold a conversation with me and
be active with me. If you could make me
laugh, it was a bonus.” When they met in
person, he picked her up, spun her around,
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and gave her “the biggest hug a person
balanced and happy Hannah was as a
result.
Creating that comforting atmosphere
for Hannah was so important, especially
in light of her father’s death. Tracy invited
Richard’s family, her family, and her best
friend to be present in telling Hannah.
“Hannah, what are Daddy’s favorite
colors?”
“Red and blue,” she responded with a
smile.
Tracy explained that this year for her
father’s birthday, they would send red and
blue balloons to heaven. She explained
that “Daddy’s heart was not strong enough
for him to live on Earth with us, and he
died and now lives with God in heaven.”
Hannah didn’t cry. When Tracy asked
Hannah if she had any questions, she had
just one: “Can I go play?”