Are You a 'Derful'?

     My niece Julie was assigned to be a Derful in a handbell choir. She was in charge of two bells she rang consecutively in the song “Wonderful Christmas Time.” Another musician rang a bell on the syllable “won,” then Julie came in with “derful.”
     Being a Derful can be thankless, yet it’s a role we all play at times. Derfuls are those who are part of something bigger than themselves. The invisible ones who cast others into the limelight. The pit crews. The stage hands. The altos supporting the sopranos.
     But consider what the world would be without Derfuls: symphonies ending in a whimper instead of the crash of cymbals; plain pasta without pesto.
     The world needs us Derfuls. If we don’t ring our bells at the right time, “won” hangs there, a syllable yearning for completion. But when we ring our bells, “won” becomes “wonderful.”
​     So to all the Derfuls of the world, ring your bells!