Years ago, I read a poem and it’s been stuck in my head ever since. Dust If You Must by Rose Milligan is certainly worth looking up and committing to memory but it doesn’t quite capture my life circumstances right now. (What’s snow? Swimming a river? I wish!)
With that in mind, I tweaked it a bit and printed to put in my closet for a daily reminder as I get dressed. Here’s my version:
Dust if you must, but wouldn’t it be better
To color a picture, or write a letter,
Bake some bread, or plant a seed;
Ponder the difference between want and need?
Dust if you must, but there’s not much time,
With friends to see and mountains to climb;
Songs to sing, and books to read;
Children to cherish, and life to lead.
Dust if you must, but the world’s out there
With the sun in your eyes, and the wind in your hair;
A sprinkle of rain now and then,
This day will not come around again.
Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Life’s not about cleaning, but being kind.
Whether the schedule is a hit or a bust,
There will always be more to dust.
Disclaimer: I spend way too much time cleaning instead of enjoying life. I’m not a go-with-the-flow personality; thus the poem to remind me to at least try. This column will be about motherhood, parenting, and homemaking for the most part. Sometimes it’ll be a break down of why Mother Gothel from Tangled is a complicated character, other times it may be a critique of King Triton’s parenting style. Most importantly, I don’t ever want this column to make another mama think she’s not doing enough. If you’re reading this, I want you to know that you are, you’re doing great, keep it up. Sing it with me: no-one is doing it allllll!
