By Anna Weaver | Hawaii Catholic Herald

‘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. “Simple Gifts,” by Joseph Brackett

Around this time every year I get a yearning to listen to the music of Aaron Copland, particularly his adaptation of “Simple Gifts.”

There’s just something about the composition that conjures for me warm and fuzzy images of American families gathered together to enjoy good food and good company, just like many of us do at Thanksgiving.

“Simple Gifts,” which was written as a Shaker religious dance song by Joseph Brackett in 1848, opens with the lines, “‘Tis the gift to be simple, ‘tis the gift to be free, / ‘Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be.”

The song references not just any gifts but the gifts lavished by God. We need holidays like Thanksgiving to make us pause and remember that we do have so much to be thankful for, even despite the disheartening events in our lives and in our world.

Hawaii residents in particular should be thanking God for our own simple gifts.

We live in a state that is beautiful and warm year round. While much of the country is starting to chill and its inhabitants beginning their hibernation, we can enjoy the outdoors 12 months a year. Walk out your door in January and it is just as gorgeous as it is in June.

Our beaches, mountains, streams, valleys, and vegetation are some of the most beautiful, our drinking water about the best tasting, and our people among the most welcoming in the world.

The many multigenerational homes here are just one illustration of the importance we place on family. We aren’t always harmoniously in tune with each other, but the varied ethnicities in Hawaii have managed to meld into a culture that is entirely unique.

I think many in Hawaii would say that we are — as “Simple Gifts” says — “where we ought to be.”

This Thanksgiving I have to thank God for two particular blessings he’s brought my family. My married roommates, who have become a part of my extended family, had a son last April who will be experiencing his first Thanksgiving. And my aunt is now recovering from health problems, which brought her very close to dying, and she is now on the mend.

So whether you are thanking God for a new or renewed life or just for the simple gifts that we too often forget, Thanksgiving Day is a perfect time to stop … and remember God’s multitude of blessings.