Don't Like The Cold

It's cold.

Yesterday it was hailing and during the weekend there was some snow. In between, there was rain, rain and rain and add the freezing wind to that equation....

That is why I only go out when I send and pick the kids from school and the madrasah.

Talking about the cold, I have a friend who I have always tried to persuade to come and work in the UK but he had always refused with the same reason...

Tak tahan, he said. The winter is too cold. The weather is so gloomy and depressing and you get so lonely that you just want to crawl under that duvet and let the tears come until you fall asleep..before you have to haul yourself up to go to work again and go through the whole thing again tomorrow.He's tried it before you see, and you can offer him any kind of money - he would still say no.

Money can only get you so much happiness but when the loneliness and depression hits...

He's a single guy so I guess I can understand how lonely it can get here when it's winter - when you don't really fancy going to the pubs with the mat saleh, when all you wanna do is to go home but there's no one to go home to..

Hey, the weather can really pull you down here.

Anyway, this cold season, I have an extra grief on my shoulders..or should I say, on my fingers.

The joints on my fingers throb. They feel cold to the touch and some parts feel like they are swelling a bit although truthfully I don't really see any increase in their various sizes. My mother had arthritis or something of that nature when she was in her 40s so I can say that this thing is in our family's genetic make up.

I guess.

Mr S said it's because of the iced drinks I failed to resist just the week before the throbbing came. As I really don't drink ice that much and the previous few weeks I have been trying to finish the bag of ice cubes in my fridge, I'm inclined to believe him.

So I'm not touching ice in the cold season ever again.

It started long before the piano came, mind. I was quite worried that I wouldn't be able to play after all and it would just be one of those ironic episodes in my life - I save to buy a piano which fate suddenly rendered me unable to play.

Wouldn't that be just hilarious?

But alhamdulillah, it hasn't been so. Everyday now I take primrose oil, calcium and glucosamine sulphate - supplements, I have been told that can help me with my problem - but I need istiqamah, said my mum, to make it work.

And so far, thank god, so good. With my family history though, I don't think I should ever stop taking these pills. Ever.

Still, I am thankful to Allah that it is under control at the mo and even when I do feel the throbbing, I thank Him for small mercies.

Thinking about what my mother went through - believe me, it really could be worse.