The Good Stuff

Too much bad stuff, eh?

I’ve been mega-stressed lately, and I think it’s beecause I packed in cigarettes, started exercising and cut out sugar and fat from my diet whilst switching to an early-morning start and frequent meals created with a combination of natural protein and low-glycaemic-index fibrous carbohydrates. That and not having any cash and being strapped to the rat-race-treadmill.

There is some good stuff.

My flat is wonderful, alhamdolilah. My kids love me and we have fun when we get together. My youngest tells me (and her mum, who can scarcely believe her ears) that she wants to spend half her time with me.

My fiancée and I will be married soon, insha’Allah.

My sister is a rock, my brother and I are tight and my friends are wonderful.

The sun shines more often and I try to be nice to as many people as I can. Today I told a kid to take his feet off a bus seat very politely - to my amazement, he responded immediately without resorting to the use of a bladed weapon. You have to realise that this was in Kensal Rise, thus my surprise. I also helped a lady with an enormously heavy shopping trolley get on and off a bus, whilst repairing the wheel that kept coming off both times.

I taught my youngest to play chess and she beat me first time (sure, I relaxed and let her take my queen, but she still figured out the check-mate move all on her own!). I helped my eldest with her religious education homework, teaching her about the glorious thousand years of Islam - she learned just how much the West has relied on Islam. Most people just don’t know. Perhaps if I mention coffee, crop rotation and plastic surgery for starters…

I am enjoying shisha and finding the smell of cigarettes repulsive again. Interesting. So where am I going with this IKEA boy?

I don’t know, but it doesn’t matter. I just try to be better, do better, as often as possible and I teach my children the same. I refuse to give in to pessimism and negativity and I teach my children the same.

There is a lot of good stuff. There really is.