30 days of Fasting, and one day to recover from it all..

My wife makes it a point to cook for her father every Hari Raya. She is a wonderful cook, and putting back on everything I've lost from a month of fasting on the morning of Hari Raya has always been worth it.
Its an annual routine. The Sunday before Raya would be the Marketing day, where we go out and get the foodstuff for the cookout. Then we would pass some raw beef to my cousin, who would cook arguably the best rendang in the country (I'm biased; I grew up on the stuff) a little extra for us. Every Raya eve, we would be up late because she would be cooking. Slotted in between the cooking would be visiting my cousin who lives with my mum to collect the rendang; in exchange we would leave behind some lemang, and some kuih raya.
When morning comes, we would then pack everything and go over to my inlaws; take my father in law to the mosque, have breakfast with him, then move over to my mum's, and have lunch.
Lunch is usually an extended drawn affair, my elder sister would already be there, and as we arrive she would be finishing; and as we join in, other cousins would arrive, then my younger sister, and so on. On Hari Raya, lunch is something that starts at about 11 30 and doesn't end till 3 or 4 pm. For my wife and I, lunch ends when the lack of sleep start to catch up on us.
My wife is an early to bed person, and Hari Raya eve is the only time year when she would sleep late.
Why do I mention this? We all celebrate Hari Raya and we take for granted that the food is there, that everything is in place. Sometimes we forget the people who put in so much for this special day; our parents, who look forward for that day when everyone comes to be under one roof, our spouses who put in so much more just to make the day special, and our children whose very presence make the day special. Not to forget the husbands, whose special function on that day is to ensure there is no food wastage .
Happy hari raya to all, and i love you all for the effort in making this day a special one. and, to my wife, again, the food was especially fantabulous, 'coz no one cooks food like you do, with the secret ingredient TLC.
Now, i wonder where I've put them jogging shoes again...