You know how sometimes people set resolutions at the beginning of the year? I set mine right before Eid. My goal is to take a decent profile picture.

You might think taking an Eid picture is an easy enough task. However, what I don't understand is why I never manage to take a good picture amidst all the chaos of house work and food prepping. 

Food prepping in my home begins the day before Eid, at times sometimes even before the last iftar. This entails a very angry and hungry version of myself trying to figure out exactly what kind of witchcraft is required to figure out the amount of salt required in the food without tasting it. 

Afterwards, I am not only emotionally drained from having to figure out the seasoning, but also physically exhausted because my body goes to sleep right after iftar. After I wake up, I decide to put mehndi on, only to find a swarm of family members who want me to put mehndi on them too.

As my patience wears thin because of people who fidget when I am applying mehndi on them, I contemplate between just stopping mehndi application altogether or going around hitting these impatient people. On my own hand I end up drawing only a circle, which I then reconsider even filling in because my hand and arm ache by this point. Then my back starts to ache too because I was hunching over the whole time I was applying mehndi. This is when I think maybe I should just quit trying to be well dressed for Eid. 

My last hope of dressing up is on Eid morning, so I try to go to sleep the night before in order to rest during the calm before the storm. I set an alarm for the morning and line up my new makeup, shoes, and Eid clothes on a chair in my room.

On Eid morning, I find myself cleaning the house for guests I probably have not seen in years. Cleaning takes a very long time and is exhausting, so I allow myself breaks so I can think of how I plan to take my Eid photos. I suddenly start missing all my cousins who I am unable to see on Eid day because of their work schedules. The remainder of the day is spent with family and friends and, as we laugh, the hours of the day fly by and I suddenly find myself cleaning up after the guests leave and changing back into my comfortable clothes so I don't have to worry about ruining my new outfit. 

Which is when realisation hits me. I never remembered to take a new picture this Eid either. 

Bushra Zaman likes books, art, and only being contacted by email. Contact her at bushrazaman31@yahoo.com