Dust If You Must
Dust if you must, but wouldn't it be better
To paint a picture or write a letter,
Bake a cake or plant a seed
Ponder the difference between want & need?
To paint a picture or write a letter,
Bake a cake or plant a seed
Ponder the difference between want & need?
Dust if you must, but there's not much time
With rivers to swim and mountains to climb
With rivers to swim and mountains to climb
Music to hear and books to read
Friends to cherish and life to lead
With the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair
A flutter of snow, a shower of rain
This day will not come round again
Dust if you must, but bear in mind
Old age will come, and it is not kind
And when you go and go you must
You, yourself, will make more dust
- Author Unknown
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Whenever I read this poem, I can't help but remember my mum's constant advice - "don't kill yourself over housework."
Whenever I read this poem, I can't help but remember my mum's constant advice - "don't kill yourself over housework."
I thought it was rather strange coming from her. After all, she kept her house in tip top condition all the time. I followed suit and used to clean every nook and corner - from my parents' house to mine.
During one of our weekly telephone conversations, about five years ago, I mentioned to mum that I was getting tired of cleaning the house we were renting. I told her that sometimes I wish I could just forget about housework and do what I like.
She said, "Clean your house when you need to. Don't kill yourself over housework. There is more to life than keeping a spotless home. Look at me, I slogged for years trying to keep our house clean and tidy. I have used up too much of my energy cleaning up. Enjoy your life."
Mum passed away last year - 13th February 2006. She used up whatever energy she had left battling cancer.
Nowadays, if you catch me on a day when my house is slightly unkempt, you will know that is the day I decided to take advantage of life. That is the day when I silently tell mum that she encouraged me do it and I thank her for the valuable advice.
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13 comments:
jacqui, housework is never ever going to be done..so, i have stopped breaking my back to do everything. What your mum said is true.
Hey Jacq,
Nicely written... how important it is to pause and "feel" life... to taste life. dont kill ourselves over anything that has the word 'work' attached to it. not worth it at all.
if a mother can say housework is not everything... then indeed, it is not everything.
Kak Teh, it is true. Housework is never done. Mum was right.
Zewt, I like the part when you say don't kill ourselves over anything that has the word 'work' attached to it. I assume you also mean office 'work'. I used to bring back work from the office but soon realised that if I die the next day, I can be replaced immediately. Sometimes employers don't appreciate the extra effort. They take advantage of it. So I learned, by mistake, on how much to give.
:) first of all, i love the poem. It is beautiful ... rhymes well and delivers important message.
"Dust if you must, and dirty it again
the fun is in dirtying and not in keeping it clean"
it reminds me of an OMO ( detergent ) advertisement where it encourages kids to play and gets dirty - bcoz by dirtying themselves, they learn.
The fun bits is in indulgence.
When you eat icecream - biar la comot mulut dan pipi sekali.
hehehe
idham
Arif, I love that poem too. I received it several times over the years. I do not know who composed that but I never get tired of reading it.
That's so true about indulgence. And I know you were referring to the advertisement and ice cream, as an example. If we really think about it, we all learn from our excessive indulgences in life.
Dearest JT,
How refreshing to look at house work from this angle. Never thought it that way.
I must say, cleaning isnt my forte.
Now I have valid excuse to be sloppy - that is to enjoy life.
Good day my friend
Hi Jacqui :o)
I like the poem and your mother's advice is gold. I'm not going to kill myself over housework anymore :o)
Elviza, it is definitely an excuse to be sloppy. Even in our sloppiness, we learn something new in life.
Syana, nice to hear from you again. I am not killing myself with housework. I blog, blog-hop, read, hang out at the library, cook (have to eat, no choice). Hey! where did that dirt come from? Oh that can wait. I'll do it tomorrow. ;)
Great insight that poem. But dust I must...I must dust..Hehehe
But it is true though that life has to be appreciated. Time given must be use wisely..
Touché k.d. Time given is precious. Thanks for visiting my blog. I appreciate it very much.
Hi Jacqui, I found your blog via Kak Teh's. I try very hard not to do housework but then when I start sneezing with all the dust, then I guess I must! I like to think that leaving all my books and papers lying around instead of tidying like mad makes me look like an intellectual...
Perhaps, you could make a link to my web page www.catyourway.com if you like it. Have a look! I think you might be very interested to read my e-book "An Ordinary Black Cat". Please, let me know...
Thanks for visiting Yang-May. If you could see my corner of the living room now, you will find evidence of someone goofing off. Go ahead - leave your books around (I do!). You are an intellectual at work. Lots of research to do, no time to clean up.
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