Ramadan Rage

I don’t know if it was hunger, or whether exhaustion caused it, I think it was probably just due, but yesterday I had one of my intermittent rages (my husband braces himself for an outburst every three months or so). I had had a long day and carried home some very heavy shopping which left me exhausted and with a sore back. I got home from work only to find that the house had been trashed, the children were handing my food to the neighbours (again!!) through the whole in the fence they had all pitched in to make. Little Man had peed on the bathroom floor and the baby’s nappy had leaked. All this and I still had to pray Asr and prepare the food to open our fast in a short time. I was livid, I was in absolute despair. My husband had gone out on a job and left the children for a few hours with my brother-in-law. I took one look, threw my bags on the floor and ran upstairs to call my husband to have a good cry on the phone to him. He had a point when he asked what he could possibly do from where he was and that I should rest and he would bring home take-away and then get the kids to clear up. It was a nice suggestion, but I was not quite sane at the point. So I prayed Asr first, had a good cry and then got going. I warned the kids never to touch MY food without asking again and that they better put everything in the house back in its place NOW!!! I told them that I didn’t like anybody very much at that moment. I realised afterwards how mean I was being. When I was a kid if my mum would have told me she doesn’t like me very much right now, I would have been very happy – it hurts much less than a whupping. But Little Lady got very upset. In the meantime, my brother-in-law had taken one look at my expression on entering the house and ran off out of the house into his friends car, probably the best thing he could have done.

Anyway at the end of three hours of manic activity – cooking, cleaning, a bit more crying and shouting at small children my blood pressure had still not come down. That took my husband first cajoling, then putting his foot down. He agreed to fix the hole in the fence:
“But why couldn’t you just say so instead of getting angry?”
“I have said, lots of times!”
“When have you said it seriously?”
“I was serious each time!”
He also agreed to speak to his brother about supervising the children more closely and had serious words with the children about taking food from our cupboards and handing it to the neighbours (like a whole box of chocs someone gave me!!!)

So when I got home today, the house was in order, there was food from yesterday and the kids were clean (fairly – I don’t trust the baby since he started picking slugs up in the garden). I should relax, except hubby has had the bright idea of inviting friends over to break fast with us, just for a few people…about 20!! So I better get cooking.

But I have no complaints alhamdulillah because at least it’s Friday. Jummah Mubarak!!