Charlebois Drive - 51° 05' 57" N 114° 06' 56"

My mom, Diane, used to come to my house to meet our kids after school and entertain and do crafts with them. My ex-wife had big problems with the fact that my mom didn't leave our home in pristine condition when she left. When my ex- challenged her on this, Diane asked her, "Do you want me spending time with the kids, or cleaning?"

I couldn't have been more proud of my mom.

The poem below embodies those feelings perfectly.

Love you and your outlook on life, mom.  Happy Birthday.

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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 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 and a shower of rain,

This day will not come around again.

Dust if you must, but bear in mind,

Old age will come and its not kind.

And when you go - and go you must - 

You, yourself, will make more dust.

- Rose Milligan