Last year, Tina loved Christmas. She looked out the window and watched as various colors of light danced around her street, the trees trembled when the cold breeze took over, Tina went outside the door and immediately—it felt like Christmas. Stores were overflowing with people, Christmas parades marking the start of the holiday, churches spilling faith and testimony, but there was one sight Tina was eager to see.

The Bell Tower. Every year, every Christmas, the bell chimed at exactly Christmas Eve. Its tolling had etched itself into her heart. She strolled past it and stood in awe, “How could anything be more gorgeous?” she mumbled to herself. She looked at the small bells circling the Bell Tower, each representing an hour before Christmas Eve. There were only 5 hours left until the final toll. She decided she wanted to make the best of this Christmas.

Tina stepped into her cottage, embracing the warmth of the fireplace, she walked to the bookshelf and picked out some Christmas lights saved from last year. The dust resembling the memories of past Christmas, she picked up the lights, dust still parting, and she hung them on the ceiling, each bulb lighting up. After hanging up the Christmas lights, her eyes switched to her kitchen counter, and the thought hit her like a bell. 

“If I could make cookies, could that make time pass by quicker?” She asked herself. Tina wasn’t always good at baking, or cooking, but she decided to try it.

After an hour of baking, she finally got the recipe intact. Four bells left. She left the tray of cookies on the counter and walked to the window, she slid the curtains off the rod, her eyes locked to the small bells circling the Bell Tower, seeing that the 6th bell chimed, her eyes lit up. She stepped out of her cottage and went straight to watch a nearby parade. She watched as costumes shone with glamour, parade floats were designed intricately, lights were dazzling, and actors who captured the warmth of Christmas. 

Tina probably had been sucked into the parade, as she didn’t even notice there was only one bell left. She ran away from the parade and ran to the Bell Tower, the moon reflecting on its golden copper. Tina could not believe she watched a parade for three hours, after all, time was precious. She escaped from her thoughts and watched as there were 5 minutes left.

The Bell Tower quickly crowded, and people were either pulling out their phones, or watching in awe. 

1..2..3..4..5..

The last bell chimed, followed by the loud toll of the Bell Tower, marking a new year, new celebrations, and new beginnings. The crowd erupted into cheer, and Tina watched as the sound echoed through town, her face lighting up.

This year, the clock seemed to tick faster than usual. Tina looked out the window and watched as lights flowed across the street. Did Christmas always look so… lifeless? She asked herself, she remembered looking forward to seeing colorful lights, to feeling the cold breeze, or to watching parades. Tina stepped outside and immediately rushed to see the Bell Tower, last year she was in complete awe of it. But now? It looks more like a bell that chimes as a reminder of Christmas Eve.

Tina stepped into her cottage, she scrambled, looking for Christmas decorations. She soon found Christmas lights, but they didn’t excite her as they used to. Although she did hang them up, each bulb lit up. Tina looked out the window, the trees no longer trembled as the cold breeze flowed. Shopping malls were no longer filled with people. “Is Christmas changing?” She asked herself. 

She realized that there were only 3 bells left to chime before the toll of the Bell Tower. But…something felt off, the countdown did not excite her as much anymore. Christmas this year felt like a normal day, she thought. Tina was confused—Christmas was supposed to be pure bliss, what had changed? Suddenly it all clicked into mind, like a bell.

She was growing up. No, it was not the lights that changed, nor the cold breeze, nor the bells, but her, Tina had changed. She stepped outside her cottage, and out to town. She waited for the colorful Christmas parades to stroll onto the streets, although only some came, it was not like last year, when parades were 3 hours long, did time just go faster? After all, time was precious.

Tina walked to the Bell Tower, seeing there were only 2 hours left, she stood silent. Christmas did not feel the same anymore, the crowds huddling up last year were gone, her view of Christmas had changed, parades were growing silent, and stores did not overflow with people like last year. Tina, tilted her head up, her eyes focusing on the bell. She no longer felt the adrenaline of the loud toll, all Tina wanted to do was to go home. But why did she stay?

She stayed because a part of her knew that she still wanted to feel the magic of Christmas once again. This feeling burdened her, chime! The last bell sounded, the Bell Tower quickly tolled, except it felt…silent. The moon no longer reflected on its golden copper, only a few gathered to listen to its toll. Christmas changed, it used to mean more to other people, the warmth, the magic of Christmas had simply vanished before our eyes. 

Time is precious.