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Love Isn't Love, Until You Give It Away

By
Real Estate Agent with DFW FINE PROPERTIES 0506509

 

 

 

"A bell's not a bell 'til you ring it,

A song's not a song 'til you sing it,

Love isn't love 'til you give it away!"

--- Oscar Hammerstein II

 
 
I was reminded of the buoy bell tucked between the two trunks of the trees, covered by red oak leaves today. Our temperatures in Flower Mound, Texas are in the high 70's, about 78 degrees, I would say, and there are still fall leaves on many trees. At this time of the year, I miss the Pine Trees, or shall I say, Christmas Trees. And so I went to church to hear the Handbell Choir. The musicians played O Come, O Come Emmanuel, It Came Upon the Midnight Clear and Christmastime. 
 
I don't exactly remember when I was introduced to handbells; however, from what I understand, they are descendants of tower bells in England around the 16th century. A set of bells, 12 or less was rung in numerical sequence - this was called "change ringing". I've been told the villagers complained, so the size was reduced to small bells, for the ringers to practice indoors out of the cold tall bell towers, producing a softer tone. I've never been to England, but enough times to Switzerland to hear the bells ringing in their high towers over the rolling fields where sheep and cows graze. There are many cathedrals and the bells ring frequently. I love their ringing melodies and the cowbells around the farm animals necks.
 
The buoy bell will never sound like a handbell Choir, but I like it anyways. It reminds me of New England, where the colors of fall are simply magnificent. I like when we do get enough rain here in Texas, the leaves on the trees stay red, gold, and orange so much longer. In that regard, I don't mind being selfish, enjoying them longer than folks out in the North East or other northern climates. But I do miss the snow, especially at Christmas time. In church the choir sang, I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas. The old lady sitting next to me shed some tears. I'm guessing she was a widow, remembering her Christmas past. I was too. Behind the musicians and the Choir were projectors of snow falling. It looked just like a picture window and the joy of Christmas warmed my heart. You could hear a pin drop. It was so quiet I could hear my heart beating.
 
The little children's choir got me all choked up. When I looked at their faces, I couldn't help but think, there are angels amongst us. The children were so tiny and cute, dressed so nice, singing like angels. I'm glad parents and guardians encourage their little ones to appreciate music and commit to a choir, especially for the Christmas presentations in local communities. I'm not loyal to one, I visit many and enjoy them all! As for children, they embody love and as Oscar Hammerstein II knew all too well, "Love isn't love, until you give it away!"  
 
©Patricia Feager 12/12/2015
 
 

 

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dfw fine properties

PATRICIA FEAGER, REALTOR®
DFW FINE PROPERTIES
3575 LONE STAR CIRCLE SUITE 315
FORT WORTH, TEXAS 76177

Email Me
                                  

                                     

MBA (University of Dallas)
BA
(Bachelors of Arts & Science)
Paralegal (Southeastern Career Institute)
Associates (3) (College of Lake County)
KU (University of Kansas)

CERTIFICATIONS

CRS (Certified Residential Specialist)
SRES (Certified Senior Residential Specialist)
PSA (Certified Pricing Strategies; Mastering the CMA)
CRS (Certified Military Relocation Specialist)
RENE (Real Estte Negotitions Expert)

"With self-discipline most anything is possible." --- Theodore Roosevelt 

 

 

 

  

Comments (21)

Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

Good Morning Joe Petrowsky - bells do have a way of getting our attention don't they? In honor of the season, we should never ignore the Salvation Army bell.

Dec 11, 2015 07:45 PM
Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Chicago, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

Good morning Patricia. Whay do I have the urge to walk in a forest and be alone with my thoughts? Enjoy your day!

Dec 11, 2015 09:08 PM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP

Peace and tranquility... bells, like a walk in the forest awaken the senses. Listening to the voice within produces wisdom from the heart and soul. Wayne Martin - may you take refuge in being alone with your thoughts today and throughout the holiday season.

Dec 12, 2015 02:28 AM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good morning Patricia Feager, MBA, GRI, Cert Negotiations Expert, Military Relo Prof ,

Lovely post this morning. I grew up in upstate NY and remember the small white church with a steeple where we worshiped. We always had snow at Christmas. I loved the crunchy sound walking through the snow under your boots, bells that rang, candles that burned and the songs that were sung! Good memories.

Dec 11, 2015 09:10 PM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP

Dorie Dillard - I remember driving through upstate NY to get from IL to Maine every year while I worked in Maine for a period of five years. I always left home, the first Friday in June. Every time I passed through upstate NY it was like crossing over the threshold, into a place of beauty, tranquility, and almost a cosmic unity I didn't have living in Chicago. And when I'd return to come back home after the Labor Day weekend, I always knew that upstate NY was the last resting place to gather up the strength I needed to get back home.


You painted a beautiful image of growing up in upstate NY. My senses highly approved. Those are good memories Dorie.

Dec 12, 2015 02:34 AM
Nicole Doty - Gilbert Real Estate Expert
Zion Realty - Gilbert, AZ
Broker/Owner of Zion Realty ZionRealtyAZ.com

It's been years and years since I listened to a live choir bell performance. They are wonderful any time of year but there's just something special about them around Christmas time. 

Dec 11, 2015 09:18 PM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP

Good Morning Nicole Doty - Gilbert Real Estate Expert - there's something magical about a live choir bell performance that I can't explain but it sends goosebumps down my spine and makes me want to dance, hold a newborn baby, or just sit and listen. As you say, there's something "very special about them around Christmas time."


I think Christmas is needed because it grounds us and keeps our spirits aligned with what's really important.  

Dec 12, 2015 02:38 AM
Roger D. Mucci
Shaken...with a Twist 216.633.2092 - Euclid, OH
Lets shake things up at your home today!

"Every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxNXtjGY_Us

Dec 11, 2015 09:33 PM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP

Thanks Roger D. Mucci - watching the ending of It's a Wonderful Life, was the perfect ending for this post... or should I say, just the beginning.

Dec 12, 2015 02:50 AM
TeamCHI - Complete Home Inspections, Inc.
Complete Home Inspections, Inc. - Brentwood, TN
Home Inspectons - Nashville, TN area - 615.661.029

Good morning Patricia. I do have to agree. Love is not love until you give it away. I do like to hear the live choir bell performance. It has been sometime.

Dec 11, 2015 09:42 PM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP

Hello TeamChi - Complete Home Inspections, Inc. - I have to say, love is not love until you give it away represents true compassion and wisdom. I hope you get to hear a live choir bell performance soon. Have a wonderful day and holiday season Michael.

Dec 12, 2015 02:53 AM
Lottie Kendall
Compass - San Francisco, CA
Helping make your real estate dreams a reality

How nice, Patricia -- I'm now thinking about bells and that's a good thing. Bells at Grace Cathedral on top of Nob Hill as I practice yoga; bell-like tones of tuned wind chimes; and cow bells in Switzerland and Austria as I hike among the mountains.

Thanks for helping me center this morning.

Dec 11, 2015 09:51 PM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP

Lottie Kendall - I looked up Episcopal cathedral on Nob Hill, San Francisco, California and was pleasantly surprised to read its history. Being on top of Nob Hill has to be so fulfilling and meaningful, just like being in Switzerland and hiking among the mountains in Austria too. I'm sure this is where you get your centering and practicing rituals like yoga must be rewarding. Have a special day in harmony. 

Dec 12, 2015 02:58 AM
Brian England
Ambrose Realty Management LLC - Gilbert, AZ
MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

It truly is far better to give than to recieve!  Then handbell choir plays at my church from time to time as well, such lovely sounds.  Kids singing beautifully tops everything though!

Dec 11, 2015 10:30 PM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP

Truer words were never spoken Brian England - "it is truly far better to give than receive." Love is the greatest gift of them all! A child is priceless.

Dec 12, 2015 03:00 AM
Kristin Johnston - REALTOR®
RE/MAX Platinum - Waukesha, WI
Giving Back With Each Home Sold!

I love the title and matra over all...thank you for reminding us to give love!

Dec 11, 2015 11:13 PM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP

Hello Kristin Johnston, Waukesha Realtor 414-254-6647 - I love what you said, so simple and true!


Love is the spirit and motivation to live!

Dec 12, 2015 03:01 AM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Good morning, Patricia --- you and Oscar certainly have(had) a way with words.   

Dec 11, 2015 11:18 PM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP

Michael Jacobs - your friendship and the friendship I've found here on ActiveRain is a blessing. Positive feedback fuels my creative soul and inspires me to keep writing. Thank you from the heart. 

Dec 12, 2015 03:03 AM
Belinda Spillman
Aspen Lane Real Estate Colorful Colorado - Aurora, CO
Colorado Living!

Very inspiring post this morning.  I love your picture with the bell tucked away behind the leaves.

Dec 12, 2015 12:14 AM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP

Thanks for the compliment on my photo Belinda Spillman - I was in awe when I saw it and had to capture the moment I saw it yesterday afternoon, from that moment on, I will filled with joy. I didn't even know I was going to attend the Christmas program until I discovered it was going to take place, about an hour beforehand. I made it just in time and from what I could see, there was one seat left. It was an evening of total peace and it helped me to put things into perspective. It's not about the rush, it's about sitting down and enjoying the quiet. Bells have a way of stirring something up inside. Have a wonderful day!

Dec 12, 2015 03:20 AM
Sharon Tara
Sharon Tara Transformations - Portsmouth, NH
Retired New Hampshire Home Stager

So beautiful!  As you know I was lucky enough to have gone to Switzerland many years ago. So beautiful. I remember the sound of the bells and how much we enjoyed hearing them. We brought back a little bell for our children and my youngest wore it around her neck when she was a lamb for Halloween. One of my favorite memories!

Dec 12, 2015 12:38 AM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP

Sharon Tara those days in Switzerland are fond memories, arent' they Sharon, another world, another time, another place of extraordinary sensory persception. I love your story about putting a bell around the youngest child's neck when she was a little lamb for Halloween. I can understand why it is one of your favorite memories. If she isn't married yet, or if she has a child, did you ever think about giving the bell to her for, "something old," for the wedding tradition or to pass down to her daughter some day? I can only imagine how special your family is to you - you're a great mother and Nana too (and friend to all of us here on AR).

Dec 12, 2015 03:26 AM
Sharon Tara

We loved Switzerland and hope to get back there someday. The first trip was all expensed paid through an incentive my husband won at work. Those days are gone and the expense would be on us to return. We were so lucky to get that amazing trip.


My daughter is not currently married. She is the one who is always off traveling. She is in a serious relationship now, so who knows.  Great idea to pass the bell on to her. Thank you for all the kind words!

Dec 13, 2015 02:49 AM
Gita Bantwal
RE/MAX Centre Realtors - Warwick, PA
REALTOR,ABR,CRS,SRES,GRI - Bucks County & Philadel

Thank you for the inspirational post . I love the quote. 

Dec 12, 2015 02:18 AM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP

I'm glad you enjoyed the quote and inspirational post Gita Bantwal - peace to you and yours this holiday season. Thank you for being a friend. It means a lot to me. 

Dec 12, 2015 03:28 AM
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants - Carpinteria, CA
Luxury Real Estate Branding, Marketing & Strategy

Patricia,

That is so true!  And Oscar Hammerstein's music still lives one.  Our first Christmas in Napa, we were invited to a winery for a dinner in the cellar entirely lit with candlelight, and they had the local high school bell choir perform carols.  It was magical.  A

Dec 12, 2015 02:51 AM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP

Ron and Alexandra Seigel - your first Christmas in Napa had to be so enchanting! Not everyone has a first Christmas in a new place as special and unique as a winery in the cellar. The candlelight, taste of wine, the ambiance, and the sound of the bell choir perform carols must have radiated such joy to the two of you! It sounds like a fairy tale evening, perfect in every way!


Keep the magic alive!!!

Dec 12, 2015 03:32 AM
Lou Ludwig
Ludwig & Associates - Boca Raton, FL
Designations Earned CRB, CRS, CIPS, GRI, SRES, TRC

Patrica

Growing up in New Jersey . . . . I looked forward to having a white Christmas.

Good luck and success.

Lou Ludwig

Dec 12, 2015 05:07 AM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP

Lou Ludwig - I know exactly what you mean. There's nothing more beautiful than that first big snow flake that gently falls from the sky. Then just like that, the bough branches are covered in soft white snow and soon the landscape changes swiftly to one of the most beautiful sights known to a child including man.

Dec 12, 2015 05:12 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

I love your quote selection and thank you for sharing your moving experience.

Dec 12, 2015 06:25 AM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP

Roy Kelley and Dolores - have a wonderful Christmas and keep the spirit of Christmas alive!

Dec 13, 2015 02:44 PM
George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Patricia this is a special time of the year, and good to see you taking in what the season has to offer especially through the performance you attended.  Just wish we could share a little bit of our snow with you when it finally arrives, so you could experience a White Christmas again :)

Dec 12, 2015 09:34 AM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP

You're a good man George Souto! If I see snowflakes, I'll know they came from you and my heart will be glad!!! 

Dec 13, 2015 02:45 PM
Michele Connors
The Overton Group, LLC Pitt & Carteret County - Greenville, NC
Your Eastern North Carolina Realtor

I love bell choirs ! They are so uplifting ! 

Dec 13, 2015 05:00 AM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP

Hi Michele Connors - I agree with you! Bell Choirs are like the voice of an angel and they leave you with a good feeling all day/night long!

Dec 13, 2015 02:47 PM
Claude Labbe
RLAH / @properties - Washington, DC
Realty for Your Busy Life

It's a pity for those kids that grow up and lose their innocence.

As for me, I'm still holding out hope, I think Santa is real, the elves work their magic and snowmen can dance.  That helos me keep the spirit of Christmas and of life.

Dec 13, 2015 12:05 PM
Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

Always keep the spirit of Christmas alive for the rest of your life and never stop believing Claude Labbe - that's what keeps you young and an inspiration to others!

Dec 13, 2015 02:42 PM