We’ve had countless boiler problems this year. Every few months something seems to happen. It sprouts a leak, starts letting out gas, making weird and un-boiler-like noises or just not getting turned on when I try to press its buttons. Last week it started drooling all over the floor and the pressure inside would rapidly drop and so prolonged use of hot water (in a bath or shower) would mean you’d have to do some fancy stuff to it to make the hot water come back. This was annoying, since I take my time whenever I have a bath or shower. So much so one of my friends always say “see you next week..” every time I text her, “I’ll text you later, about to jump into the bath/shower.” A few days subsequent to this, the boiler spluttered its last few breaths and stopped working all together. 3 days without hot water and heating.
It is not very often we consider boilers to be of value in our lives. Even when we talk about the things that we take for granted, how often do you hear anyone mention their boiler? I guess it’s like that clichéd line goes “you don’t realise the value of something till it’s gone…”. Said so many times, and probably experienced many more times but still it rings true. I realised the sheer importance of it when waking up for Tahajjud and Fajr (morning) prayers in the bitter cold without any hot water to wash with or heating to warm up the house with. I realised it’s importance when running late for university and jumped into the shower for a quick one only to be drenched in ice cold water. I realised the importance of it when sitting down stairs studying with frozen feet and fingers because of the cold. The water was so cold it left a burning sensation on contact with skin.
“It’s so annoying,” said my brother one morning. “Why does this stupid thing keep messing up! I don’t wanna go to school today.”
“Think about all the people who live in icy conditions without hot water, or central heating. They only have one pan, in which to cook and in which they heat up water for a bath. Be grateful,” replied my dad.
The whole thing gave a few members of the household a really bad cold but it got me thinking. We use so many things each and every day. Many of these things we use without any thought as to their value in our lives, because they don’t seem valuable. Forget the small things, many of us are caught up in our traps that we aren’t even grateful for the big things that glare us in the face.
Say thank you to whoever you believe in, for once some of these things are gone, they may never come back. Thank God the boiler is now fixed. But more importantly thank God it was only the boiler and nothing more that messed up.
PS
This was written in a hurry so please excuse the grammar and or other mistakes.
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Title: Autumn Days – Estelle White
Posts
2 December 2011 at 01:32
Whats a trap?
2 December 2011 at 04:35
MHM
2 December 2011 at 06:14
I always thank Allah for hot water. A friend and I mutually agreed (only yesterday) that hot showers were a blessing. For someone like me who has an allergy and get the flu every morning, hot water is something of sheer importance. Just the thought of cold water makes my nose all runny. No, seriously!
2 December 2011 at 08:54
Ouch. I abhor cold showers. They ruin my entire day. even if it's summer.
The weather is pretty cold where you're at isn't it? You have my sincerest sympathies.
How is it that you ALWAYS manage to find a song to fit your posts?
I hope the boiler gets fixed soon! :)
2 December 2011 at 14:21
Hey,
Great Blog ^.^
2 December 2011 at 17:55
i start shivering every time i think about cold water during winter :D..n yeah we often take things for granted..we only realize the importance of what we are blessed with and how lucky we are only when its gone n also when we see someone in worst condition than us
2 December 2011 at 23:20
@ lil-bee: I think I didn't quite finish that sentence. I'll get back to you when I remember!
2 December 2011 at 23:20
@ ME: *nods*
2 December 2011 at 23:30
@ Tazeen: You're right. We should be thankful to Allah for many many things! Awh, you should take care of yourself Tee jee.
2 December 2011 at 23:31
@ Vice Versa: Yeah it's about 5 degrees here these days! Thank you very much for your kind sympathies. It's fixed now Alhamdulilah.
I'm just THAT good ;)
2 December 2011 at 23:32
@ Black Pearl: HI :D Thank you very much!
2 December 2011 at 23:32
@ Butterfly: Couldn't have put it better myself :)
3 December 2011 at 07:13
Very thought-provoking post, Nas! There are so many little things that affect our lives, and we get so attached to them, that we forget their existence all in all.
4 December 2011 at 12:58
Boiler problems are annoying and we do take it for granted and complain like crazy when it doesnt work. But the old boilers used to run out of hot water quickly.
I like how you used this the boiler situation to explain how we ought to be thankful anyway other than just when things go wrong.
5 December 2011 at 11:00
You realize the importance and gravity of these small things when you live deprived of all of them.
I loved the simplicity and prosaic feel of this post :)
6 December 2011 at 05:18
When I was sleeping over at my cousins home the boiler broke, it was during the summer time and yes, icy cold water especially the burning kind isn't lovely at all. Our washing machine isn't working well and the possibility of not having one is almost alien to me :| Our car isn't working well and it's winter may Allah let it get by the winter. You're right we don't know the value of something until it's brought to our attention. I'm glad you have heat now :)
18 December 2011 at 21:56
I remember when ours broke and washing the dishes was a mission. Youd think washing a few plates with cold water wont hurt, but god!After a plate youd have to stop dry your hands, get some warmth in em and then start again.
Its these little everyday encounters that makes us appreciate all these big things in out lives. We have nothing to complain about cos we have too much to be grateful for.
Great post! Not visited this place in a while, missed it!
x
(Can you smell the shampoo?):D
1 January 2012 at 21:12
You are right, we take many things for granted and can be right ungrateful so and so's.
I regularly visit Pakistan now and I have seen how the electricity and gas goes; makes me grateful for the comforts I have here and makes me appreciate them more.
2 January 2012 at 08:28
This was really sweeet! :)