Dust if you must

A poem my Mother just e-mailed me. It's short and sweet, and a good way to bring in the New Year. It was penned by Rose Milligan, and more than that, she made it up, too!
Enjoy!

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,
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!


Maybe it's not what you gather, but what you scatter
that tells what kind of life you have lived.