Simple Gifts, written by Elder Joseph while he was at the Shaker community in Alfred, Maine in 1848, performed by cellist Yo-Yo Ma and singer Alison Krauss. The video was produced by photographer Jim Crotty, of Centerville, Ohio.
Simple Gifts
'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 round right.
Wishing you and your family a joyful Thanksgiving.
Growing up and into adulthood, my mom frequently told me “You think too much. Don’t think so much.” She probably wanted to spare me the heartbreak and sadness she had in her life. Her advice didn’t stick.
Now in my 60s, encouraged by my husband Bill and a number of friends who’ve read my long, possibly tedious, e-mails on various subjects over the years, I'm putting my thoughts out for the world, or whoever stumbles across this site, to read.
You can’t post comments on this site, but if you’re compulsed to say something, you can drop me a note.
C
To the love of my life
My husband Bill is my editor, critic, personal Crayola King, and the designer of this site. He makes me better than I am.
