Dust being Dust
Why you should not stop being kind just because the world became harsh.
I never get angry at dust, even when I find it messing up my space.
It does not respect my work.
It does not value my cleanliness.
It does not appreciate my dedication.
It does not let me rest even for a single day.
It does not visit at intervals; it returns right after I wipe away its existence.
No amount of brooming or mopping stops the dust from settling again —
on my sofa,
on my table,
on cupboards, and
on my adorable books.
But for some reason, I do not lose myself.
No matter how restless I may feel when I see it making a home in my home, I do not shout at it, I do not beat it, and I do not seek revenge.
I do not stop cleaning my space just because Miss Dust is going to make a mess again.
I simply do what I should be doing: CLEAN
And the dust does what it is meant to do: DIRTY
I love my space enough that I choose to clean it again and again.
The peace that comes with a tidy space holds enough value for me to lose it because of dust.
Dust burdens me.
It exhausts me.
Yet I still sweep it away without yelling at it.
Because I know, it is just Dust being Dust.
The moment I accept the nature of dust, I stop trying to control it.
But I also do not let its nature change mine.
If dust does not stop making my corners dirty, I too do not sto making them clean again.
Dust is a universal truth!
It will come. It will follow its nature.
But that does not mean I must choose to live untidily.
Sometimes, the world becomes dust.
The dust that is unkind.
That takes you for granted.
That does not treat you right.
That hurts you.
In moments when the world turns harsh toward you, does it mean your goodness has no value?
Does it mean you should stop being kind?
Dust never understands your effort, the time you invested, or the care you put into keeping your space clean. That is just not what dust does.
Because it is Dust being Dust.
Similarly, some people enter your life like dust.
They are not always cruel.
They are not necessarily bad people.
They may not even want to hurt you or make you feel small.
They are simply acting from where they are in their awareness and evolution.
They do not always intend to harm you; sometimes, you are harmed because you personalise the dust they carry.
The dust is theirs.
And the moment you make it about yourself; you begin losing your inner goodness, the cleanliness of your own home.
When you react to this dust from a place of ignorance, what you are truly saying is:
“Because my kindness was not valued, I will stop being kind.”
But in this reaction, you neither teach a lesson to the dust, nor does the dust suddenly begin valuing you.
If your clean space is not for anyone else but yourself, then your kindness too is not for the world first, it is for you.
Your kindness is yours to keep.
Kindness, love, and compassion first cleanse your own soul.
You are the first person to receive their warmth, their peace, and the fulfilment that quietly blooms within you.
So, do not stop being kind because dust did not stop being dust.
And to make it a little easier for yourself to continue loving deeply, perhaps what you need is not hatred, but wiser distance.
Stay away from places heavy with dust.
Do not throw them away.
Do not hate them.
Do not panic because of them.
Simply wrap them gently and stop using them.
That too is care.
That too protects your kindness.
In the end, it is not about never getting frustrated with dust.
It is about remembering that if a clean space benefits anyone the most, it is you.
And so do your goodness, your kindness, and your compassion.
Let Dust be Dust.
And You be You.
