i heard the bells

The church down the street from my brother's flat in Bath has an open bell ringing night every Monday. I have been sitting in the living room the past hour very much enjoying the sound. I can't help but think of the poem (and hymn) "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The words were written at a time of war and despair, Longfellow had recently lost his wife and had received news that his son had been wounded in battle. He found himself in a moment without hope, unable to see the good in the world. In that moment of loss, the bells on Christmas Day remind him of the good that is still there "the wrong shall fail, the right prevail with Peace on earth, good will to men".

I often find myself dwelling on the negative aspects of my life. There is always something I wish I was doing instead, something I wish I had done differently and aspirations that I hope to achieve. I allow myself to get caught up in the cynical and apathetic world, dismissing the good that I know is all around me. I know I am not the only one to have these moments of self-doubt. For myself I hope to remember the sound of the church bells as they remind me that the wrong will fail and the peace will prevail.