My friend Robin also writes a blog. Most of her pieces are on simplification and avoiding excess, but this week she posted a quote that struck home.
“Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.” Oscar Wilde.
As we enter our later years we value more and more simplicity and honesty in who we are. This morning I came across the following from my old church’s bulletin:
“In 1944 Aaron Copland used an old Shaker tune – Simple Gifts – in Appalachian Spring, and in 1950, in Old American Songs, he added Shaker words to the music. It’s beautiful – and simple – like the gifts it describes (listen here), and like the gifts we experienced this week:
‘Tis the gift to be simple, ’tis the gift to be free
‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight.”
I am convinced that God communicates with us by use of nuggets, nudges, and simple phrases. They are truly simple gifts.
Nice! It’s a beautiful tune with beautiful lyrics!