Tis A Gift To Be Simple
Most of us are familiar with the song, "Simple Gifts" an 1848 Shaker song by Elder Joseph Brackett. The words of this song inspire me to maintain my simple life and at times they make me wonder about what more I can do. It is said to be a dance song, which makes sense since the the last few lines sort of lead you to think of dance instructions.
'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.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come out right.
'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.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come out right.
I wonder, if this simple life is tied up more with thinking simply and perhaps being thought as by the world standards as a bit simple. Simple as opposed to being complex. Maybe having this kind of simplistic view of life, of not seeking hidden meanings in every sentence, of not bogging our minds down with the drama of dysfunction so often portrayed as entertainment by the media, maybe by having that simple sincerity seen in small children, that is what the real gift of simplicity is. To delight in the natural world instead of buying into the "must haves" gives us that gift of freedom that is the manifestation of the gift of being simple.
No matter how long we have lived this "simple life" there is always that need to pull myself back now and again and watch that I don't become enticed into a world that measures success by the size of your house, your car or the kind of clothes you wear. Or that tells you, you are not taking care of yourself if you don't go to a spa, have facials, have nails and hair done. One of the most beautiful women I have ever seen, had long gray hair, tied up on her head, work worn hands and the deepest expression of peace on her face and a gentleness that warmed you instantly. She had never seen a spa, but had worked hard as a farm wife her entire adult life. It was a gift to be in her presence. It really is, a gift to be simple ~
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I visited a Shaker village in Kentucky a while ago, which works as a museum and bed and breakfast, and the simplicity and peace and beauty of the place was amazing. I still carry that place around in my heart.