The Happiest Sound

Thank you for your kind words on yesterday’s post!  They warmed my heart this morning.

I was having a slow start today when I heard the jostle of sleigh bells coming from the other room.  There is no other sound in the world that signals Christmas to me as much as hearing these gold bells ring.

I think all bells are lovely, but these have a certain quality to them that sounds like they could come from the door of a cozy village shop or off of the harness of a reindeer.  To me, they sound like the possibility of snow (highly unlikely in L.A., but lovely to dream about nonetheless).

My husband is less in love with the bells than I am, but that’s ok.  We moved them to the hall closet so they ring less frequently, but that only makes them more precious to my ears.  It’s a childhood memory that I share with my sister.  In fact, I once heard her set ring in the background while we were talking on the phone.  Hundreds of miles away – even over the phone – I was transported back to another time.  “Oh, you have your bells up,” I said and no other explanation was necessary.

These bells belonged to my Grandmother.  She had them hanging on the door to the guest room hallway.  I’m not sure if they were originally intended as a festive touch or as a warning bell for when the grandchildren were awake and out of bed.  Either way, that special Christmas sound signaled only good things.  Their ringing filled the house as we dashed from one room to another ready to open presents or peek downstairs to see how Granddad had decorated the basement for us.

It makes me happy now when I hear these bells to think that they are ringing in my sister’s home too and serving as the backdrop for entirely new Christmas memories.