Simple Gifts

[Daniel]

My husband surprised me today with several bunches of fragrant purple lilac. Aaron Copland's Appalachian Spring was on the radio, just getting to the part where the Shaker tune "Simple Gifts" begins. I looked into his face and smiled and the world righted itself.

'Tis the gift to be simple 'tis a gift to be free,
'Tis a gift to come down where you ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gained
To bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed
To turn, tun will be our delight
'Till by turning, turning we come round right.

Do you have a tale of your own to tell?