Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Blessed



In February, at a synagogue on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, a fabulous group was featured. That evening My Favorite Enemy consisted of seven (sometimes there are more) first rate musicians from Israel, Palestine, Jordan, USA and Norway, and they set the room on fire with their passion and commitment to inspiring harmony in the hearts and minds of all mankind. Theirs is a blend of Middle East rhythms and sounds, and contemporary pop and rock, and since 2009, they’ve been sharing their transformational programs all over the world. Their sumptuously rich, eclectic music captivates and nourishes our souls.

Since gratitude has been a cornerstone of my life for many years, I was totally taken with their song “Blessed”. The music seeped right into my bones and the recurring lyric is:

Thank you for the sorrow / The times I had to borrow / 
When my heart was hollow /
All my tears and quarrels
Thank you for my madness / All my pain and sadness / 
Without it I would be less / 
Without it I would not be as blessed.

Is that not the human condition? Does that not speak to us all?                                                                                                                                                                                            
Thank you, My Favorite Enemy, for your inestimable gift to our world.