Tomorrow is the half-century anniversary of my birthday. Therefore, I have written a list of 50 things that I am very grateful for in my life. Please know that even if you are not named specifically in this list, that you are in fact written in my heart with love and gratitude now and always. Thank you all for making my life beautiful! Love and gratitude from, Yosifah Rose Craver 50 1. My husband Nathan Craver for being my best friend, love of my life, musical partner, emotional anchor, and excellent companion in all I do, dream, and aspire to. Enta Omri! 2. Jared Craver and Andrea Willox -- for being yourselves -- two unique, complex, and incredibly gifted, intelligent, wise, and fun individuals that I have the profound honor of being a second Mom to. 3. My daughter-in-love Melissa Whatley Sheppard -- for having a heart of gold, the love and empathy of an angel, and a great sense of humor and for always taking such good care of Jared. 4. My son-in-law JL DoubleYou for being a fantastically gifted and fun addition to our crazy clan and for being the perfect husband/lifetime mate for Andrea. 5. My parents for their love -- and for continuing to love me even when I am some strange alien being who has so many ideas, opinions, and habits foreign to them. 6. To my brother Joe and my sister-in-law Jacie Michalke Siino for being the best brother and sister anyone could ever have. 7. To my brother Mike for always being a great example and for all of those early morning rides to high school in his fancy car, and for not leaving without me even when I was running late. 8. To all of my extended family, aunts, uncles, and cousins -- for filling my childhood with all of those beautiful summer trips to Santa Cruz, the beach, the Boardwalk, as well as the family dinners, holidays, birthdays, and no particular reason get-togethers. I will always cherish the memories of those loud, happy, crazy times together. 9. I thank God for the gift of each day of my life, the gift of music, and the blessing and promise of each new day. 10. I also thank God for his patience in shifting through my sometimes selfish prayers, and for not answering many of them -- especially those that seemed like a good idea to me at the time but were ill-willed....like the many times in 6th grade that I asked God to smite a particularly vile bully who was picking on me, beating up some of my friends, and stealing stuff from some of their purses. She was evil, but still -- I wouldnt want her untimely demise on the judgement scales when my time comes! :-) 11. I am grateful for the pets -- fur babies -- that I have had the privilege of sharing my life with who have shown me that dogs, cats, bunnies, and other creatures...all have unique personalities and each in their own way a profound capacity for love. 12. I am grateful for the mentors and teachers that touched my heart, my mind, and opened doors to new ideas and adventures in my life. 13. I am grateful for the gift of literacy and books. 14. I am grateful for the gift of language. 15. I am grateful for my passion for music. 16. I am grateful to my muses for the gift of poetry and songwriting. 17. I am grateful to the doctors who have helped me survive cancer and a number of other medical nightmares. 18. I am grateful to the luthiers who have built the musical instruments that inspire the music in my heart and soul. 19. I am grateful for living in downtown Martinez walking distance to Roxx on Main and Armandos -- in a village populated with with fellow artistic musical maniacs. It feels good to be with my tribe. 20. I am grateful to the Martinez Music Society and the Martinez Music Mafia -- for welcoming Nathan and I back to the downtown musical tribe. 21. I am grateful to Elias Lammam, Mary Ellen Donald, and our many teachers of Middle Eastern music for teaching Nathan and I, and for opening up the world of Arabic maqamat theory and iqqat to us. 22. I am grateful to Fadil Shahin for being our musical mentor and for welcoming Nathan and my band Al Azifoon into the El Morocco family over a decade ago. 23. I am grateful to the musical friends who have performed with Nathan and I over the years in our groups Lost Prophets and Al Azifoon. We look forward to playing more music with you all! 24. I thank Mary Ellen Donald -- for being my teacher, mentor, dear friend, and musical fairy godmother....and cancer survivor coach. 25. I thank Najia Marlis for being my dear friend and for helping me to dance outside of the box. 26. I thank all of my Raks Sharki teachers, mentors, and friends for the gift of dance. You are all too numerous to name....you know who you are!!! 27. I thank the students who I had the privilege to teach. Many if you actually taught me so many things about learning, life, resiliency, and courage. 28 I am grateful to live where it never snows. 29. I am grateful to whomever invented nylon instrument strings as sheepgut strings would be brutal to keep in tune on my 81-string qanun. 30 I am grateful to Paul Ohanesian, Mark Bell and Ling Shien of Helm Music, Zaid Ali Kahn, Tim Bolling, Cynthia Rutherford, Sarah Michael, and many other Middle Eastern musicians too numerous to name for being musical mentors, friends, and our musical collaborators. 31. I am grateful to my dear friends whom I love -- and who call me, email, Facebook message me, and in general do the keeping in touch-- and thereby prevent me from disappearing into a solitary musical hermitage. Hours, days, months and years can easily go by -- when I am absorbed in study and musical practice at home. 32. I am grateful to the creative authors whose written works have transported me to different eras, cultures, and worlds. 33 I am grateful for the international travels that Nathan and I have experienced together. 34. I am grateful for having a warm, cozy little cottage to call home. 35. I am grateful for modern plumbing and an in-unit washer and dryer. 36 I am grateful for the extended community that the social media can foster. 37. I am grateful that the internet can make research and news readily available at my fingertips. 38. I am grateful that people are becoming more aware if what celiac disease is and have a better idea of what gluten free means. Back in the early 1990s....it wasnt so easy... 39 I am grateful that Nathan has a steady day job and that we have medical insurance. 40. I am grateful that we own a car. 41. I am grateful for public transportation, and was especially grateful when we didnt have a running car. 42. I am grateful for steaming hot tea -- all day, all year. 43. I am grateful for my dog Ginger who is our house-elf. 44. I am grateful to Gigi Walker and Brian Walker for everything, always. 45 I am grateful to open mic hosts everywhere who encourage and nurture young, old, new, and pro musicians alike. 46. I am grateful to everyone who has listened to my singing, playing of original and cover songs in English, Arabic, Spanish, and even French. Thank you for allowing me to share my love of music and reveal parts of my heart and soul to you. 47 I am grateful to everyone who has taken the time from their lives to read my 50 expressions of gratitude. May you always be blessed with gratitude for your life too! 48. I am grateful to currently be mostly pain free and in remission, able to eat, and even feeling somewhat fat! Lifes good! 49. I am grateful to be alive and to be free. 50. Finally, I am grateful to have reached the half century mark, and I pray for the blessing of many more decades filled with musical growth, love, family, and friendship!
Posted on: Sun, 17 Nov 2013 19:20:01 +0000
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