One animation storyboard teaching children about emotions “happy” and “sad” leaves everyone in the room speechless. The scriptwriter reads: ‘A little boy and girl walk hand in hand in a park, each holding a balloon, looking happy. Accidentally, the boy lets go of his balloon. The little girl sees him crying and then releases her balloon into the air and smiles. The boy stops crying, and together, they watch their balloons ride high into the endless blue sky.

That passage from Natasha Lance Rogoff’s Muppets in Moscow.

The Soviet Union fell, and Russia had the challenge of creating a post-USSR culture. What language do we use to express happiness? Sadness? How do we greet one another? One of the producers described the challenge as “language limbo.” Who knew that a simple story about a balloon could help bridge the gap?

To an American audience of that time, the story might seem silly. Why doesn’t the girl share her balloon with the boy? But, to a Russian audience, the story is powerful. What makes the story so effective is simple - the boy and girl have a shared experience powered by empathy.

How might play the role of the girl releasing her balloon more often? How might we show others that we see them and their beautiful story?