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In the 1993 movie Groundhog Day, which starred Andie MacDowell and Bill Murray, viewers are treated to the interesting spectacle of an actual town festival in Punxutawney, Pennsylvania, in which a groundhog, forced by tradition, is made to “predict” how many weeks more until spring arrives. Of course, the accuracy of the lowly rodent’s “prediction” is beside the point, as the main point of the gathering is to do that little celebration in the middle of the bleak winder—if only to muster up some warmth and fun amid the cold. In roughly the same way, a good, well crafted wind chime can also do the “greet the spring” job. Well, not exactly “herald” it, but merely accentuate it—the changing breezes sweeping around the yard and through the house, redolent with the fragrances of spring flowers in bloom, can best be appreciated with the tinny sing-song of a wind chime. There is something about a wind chime’s sound—naturally produced by the wind brushing lightly against it—that seems to symbolize or embody the emotional magnitude of the spring season. I remember as a child when I and my friends used to laze around on Sunday afternoons on the porch, waiting for grandma’s lemonade. The mouth-watering scent of butter cookies being baked from the kitchen, and the general silence of our entire suburban neighborhood, occasionally broken by some child laughing or some baby crying from far away, or the drone of descending aircraft in the nearby air field. And in the middle of it all, on the outskirts of one’s somnolent consciousness, just as when you are being lulled to give up and just let go and sleep, the wind chime “sings” just enough for you to stay awake, or at least half dreaming. The sound of the wind chime reminds you of a little girl who, with the inward flick of her little finger and a mischievous smile, beckons you to walk closer, to go back to the here and now. The tinkling sound of a wind chime in spring is often embedded in one’s memory of some distant halcyon time, back when life was still free from care and from the ravages of modern, daily obligations. You still hear it sometimes when you are busy trying to meet a deadline or negotiate some business deal, and the emotional catharsis inevitably follows—you are back there again, in the cradle of your youth, blowing dandelions in your hand, running on a meadow where grasses and flowers undulate. The wind chime’s power to summon memories of the delightful spring is the reason why many people, wherever they may eventually settle down, whether it is in the middle of New York City or Tokyo, still strive to install a wind chime in their home. People who live in high-rise condos or apartments and fortunate enough to have some sort of balcony would most often hang a wind chime at the door or under the eaves, or anywhere where the wind can animate them. Even if, say, you’re in the middle of a smog-filled city, the moment you hear the wind chime sing, you are instantly transported back to that distant day in spring, with all the colors and innocent happiness of your youth, as if you can still smell the natural fragrances of the season. If you still have not installed your very own wind chime, or you have not yet decided whether or not to “give in” to the emotional hankerings of your inner self, you should know that there are many good options. Wind chimes come in many designs and materials, and their make determines the kind of sound they will produce. For example, among the most popular wind chime designs are those made of such materials as bamboo, glass, or metal. You can buy them at any arts and crafts store, or online—there are many websites that specialize in producing an incredible number of wind chime designs, and it is a good bet that such an online store will have one that fits exactly your taste. Whatever you choose, the bottom line is simple: a wind chime is not just any ordinary decor or ornament for your home—it serves a spiritual or emotional purpose. Spring is almost here. Greet it with your wind chime’s sing-song.
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