The Bell

I am the youngest of five children who all spent many Summer days on the water. When I was first born, my father built a house on Seneca Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in New York State, USA, which I have featured in several past Blips.

At some point in time, a large dinner bell was installed on the outside of the house, a signal to those on the shore, dock, or even nearby on the boat, that it was time to come home and have lunch or dinner. With four teenagers and a small child, my parents had their hands full.

This is the bell, many years later, and rescued from my sister's garage after she passed away four years ago.

When I ran across the bell, I immediately thought of my brother, who had purchased a condo on the St. Lawrence River in the "Thousand Islands" region of New York State, and how this old relic would come in handy with his own children...and grandkids!

Imagine how thrilled I was to see it stationed on his deck, ready to signal to the family that it was time to head back home and share a family meal.

Family heirlooms come in many shapes and sizes, and I'm sure that this one isn't going to break the bank at a Sotheby's auction. To us, it is a prized possession, and one that will leave with a family member, should the condo ever be sold.

We all gravitate to the water and it's cleansing properties. The bell will live on, years after all of us original 5 have left planet Earth.

Will we all come running when we hear it ring in heaven?

I think so.

It's what the love of family is all about.