“Then let us all with one accord
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord
That hath made Heaven and earth of nought
And with his blood mankind has bought.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel
Born is the King of Israel!”
– Sixth verse of “The First Noel”
“You sure are cheerful,” a Kmart customer said to me as I rang the Salvation Army bell Saturday evening.
I had the bell in one hand, my Bluetooth speaker in my pocket playing Christmas tunes, and a smile on my face as I greeted customers walking into Kmart. The wind blew and the air was changing as a strong cold front moved into our area. Little did I know I would be changing, too.
Every year hundreds of volunteers across the nation ring the famous jingle bell during the holiday season to raise money for the Salvation Army, which goes to fund many of their outreach programs.
I joined their ranks for the first time after a spur-of-the-moment moment decision was made to spend a few hours ringing the bell.
I was determined to smile and engage with people as they came and went that cloudy evening. Some people walked past me without a hello or even a glance my way, others gave me a quick wave and off to go shopping they went, but then there were those that dug spare change out of their wallets and purses, giving me a big smile as they donated money to a good cause to help others.
My favorite givers were the young children who walked past me as they left the store, but then suddenly they would turn around with a couple of pennies or a dollar in hand, run to the kettle as fast as they could, and throw the change in. They had the biggest grins on their face as I said, “Thank you. Merry Christmas!” A returned “Merry Christmas” was shared and off they would go to their next stop after their good deed was done.Â
For three hours I stood outside, I talked with many people, sometimes a sentence here and there, and sometimes just a brief hello or Merry Christmas. In between those moments something changed in me that day.
The song “The First Noel” came on my phone as I played holiday tunes. It was as if time slowed down for the three minutes the song played. I looked around as the customers came and went, as some people donated money, and for the first time this holiday season, I remembered what the true meaning of Christmas is about for me.
Christmas isn’t about buying the fanciest gift for my husband or about making sure I attend every Christmas party. It’s about  giving my mom a hug Christmas morning. It’s about the time spent with my sister Abby watching our favorite holiday movie. It’s about laughing with my husband over strange holiday traditions. It’s about helping my neighbor with their tree. It’s about bringing dinner to a friend who just had a new baby.
Christmas is about  spending time with friends and family; it’s about helping others in a time of need; it’s about making the young boys and girls smile during the most magical time of year.
I may have walked away with a blister on my finger from ringing the bell (now I know why they wear gloves!) where the bell handle rung, and I may have danced a little too much with my back hurting, but I was a changed person after ringing the bell for the Salvation Army.
Who knows? Maybe an angel really does get their wings when a bell rings.
