In our new town, in our new house, in our new life, we are surrounded by bells.

They are a marker of time and a recorder of events.

The church bells chime every hour from eight AM to eight PM.

The school bell ushers kids from class to class.

The fire station bell gives us a moment to pause and consider ourselves lucky it is not ringing for us.

The bells guide and direct us from one task to another. Mark our progress as we work. Challenge and motivate us to keep going until the next bell gives us reason to move on to something else.

There is the bell that signals the arrival of students at the academy across the street (8:00.)

The bell that tells the dog it is time for their walk (9:00.)

The bell that tells us it is time for lunch (1:00.)

The bell that signals the student exodus (3:00.)

The bell that signals that it is time to head to the porch (4:00.)

The bell that signals it is time for dinner (7:00.)

The bell that signal we have made it full cycle (8:00.)

There are different bells on Sundays and Holy Days.

Call to worship bells and remembrance bells.

Different occasions, different meanings but always there are bells.

These bells connect us to the town, to events, to each other.

Today we saw the reserved parking marked off at the church.

Saw the mourners and the hearse arrive.

Felt the world take a pause.

And then we heard the bells.