Dust If You Must

I have been unable to post for a while. However, I was deeply touched that in my ‘absence’ several of you have made the effort to keep in touch and comment on my posts. I am so grateful for the new contacts I’ve made when my post on my grandmother was published as a Friday Story by My Daily Insights. I was especially moved by a comment by Victoria – who is one brave young woman.

The last few weeks have been spent in ‘fighting’ our way back in to our flat that we had temporarily vacated for renovations. The contractor was unable to complete the work in time and we had to force him to make sure part of the house was habitable to enable us to move. Unfortunately, the work is seeming to go on endlessly and though we’re back home, we still haven’t got use of the complete flat.

It’s wonderful to be back home and enjoy our new kitchen, home-cooking, arranging and rearranging the stuff we have and shopping for the stuff we need. However, through this process, my husband and I are trying not to lose sight of the essentials – our spiritual life, our relationships, our health (glad to be back in the gym again!), and our other commitments. We know it’s all too easy to get caught up in the endless cycle of home improvement and maintenance and forget the more important things. So pretty soon, I’m going to back to being in touch and updating my blog more often.

Here’s a lovely little poem by Rose Milligan that warns against being obsessive about keeping your home tidy! :

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 and need?

Dust if you must, but there’s not much time,
With rivers to swim, and mountains to climb;
Music to hear, and books to read;
Friends 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 flutter of snow, a shower of rain,
This day will not come around again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,
Old age will come and it’s not kind.
And when you go (and go you must)
You, yourself, will make more dust.