Reposting this as it reminds me of a wonderful (pre-COVID) holiday trip. And, that it’s time to weed out my baggage once again… “Let it go. Let it go.” (Elsa)
Sometimes life sends you subtle signals that a season is changing. Other times, it’s more like a karate chop. One of the latter hit me over Christmas and involved an unusually long school holiday, a desire to not be mugged and seven hours of interstate driving.
The holiday needs no explanation — 17 days! The mugging issue came from a visit to one of my two hometowns and time spent on public transit, in museums and on the streets of a major city. The seven hours of driving was done by our oldest daughter. She, in fact, drove across an entire state without making me grip my armrest or step on imaginary brakes.
Add it all up and I realized that I do not need to carry the equivalent of a diaper bag — a purse that can bail anybody out of any emergency and have space to haul the items others might pick up along the way.
How mommed out was my purse? Here is a partial list of what I was hauling:
Keys; a cell phone; $17 dollars in cash and an assortment of typical American plastic; one reporter notebook and six pens (for journalistic emergencies); tissues; a flash drive (for data emergencies); K-beauty blotting tissues; two Burt’s Bees lip glosses; one hair pick; three metal straws (to prevent marine life emergencies or to perform an emergency tracheotomy); a Swiss army knife with tweezers, toothpick, knife, scissors and a nail file (has to be removed every time I enter a government building); anointing oil (for prayer emergencies); Band-aids; Lactaid; an EpiPen (no longer needed, but so pricey for a time I was loathe to toss it); ibuprofen, aspirin (in case of heart attack), chewable Benadryl (in case of anaphylaxis); and, last but not least, a whistle (to summon help without inhaling excessive dust if we are buried under rubble during an earthquake — I haven’t lived anywhere earthquake prone since I was 7).
While I am obviously a rather handy person to have around (and rather disappointing pickings to the average mugger), this is ridiculous. And, heavy. My purse weighed almost four pounds. No wonder my back hurts.
Switching to a cross body bag (secured in five minutes at a Goodwill while enroute) has me down to just over a pound. I might float away, it’s so light.
What’s missing? Oddly, not much. Switching to the built-in wallet and reducing the quantity of some items dropped most of the weight. The rest was due to a dose of mid-life reality — such as teen daughters can carry their own blotting tissues and I can fluff my curls with my fingers.
It’s true. I did not need to carry all that stuff. It was weighing me down and tying up my hands. I am happier without it.
So happy, that It made me wonder what else I am carrying that I shouldn’t be. Jesus famously invited believers to throw their cares onto Him with abandon. This year, this new season, I hope to take Him at His word.
I certainly cannot be God, capable of handling any circumstance. And, I don’t need to carry God-sized problems around on my back — anymore than I need a six pens and a whistle.
Nora Edinger -- JOY Journal 
I was laughing the whole time! At 78, I think I have the problem of too much taken along, but there’s often this nagging feeling that I’m missing something important…like the tissues I need for my sniffling allergies…or the lightweight rubbers just in case it rains (or snows, here). And of course, there’s all the baggage of life that I still haven’t quite given over for good. Thanks for the reminder! Here’s to traveling light!
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🙂 I have to admit I kept the whistle. You never know … and I just like it for some reason.
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What a great post to open the new year! Thank you for the reminder to take the time to turn to Jesus and dump out all the burdens I insist on carrying. On another note, your purse and the description of all its contents brought to mind the scene in the movie “One Fine Day” where Michelle Pfeiffer begins whipping items out of her purse that help salvage her work presentation. Hope you’re enjoying your lighter, cross body bag.
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🙂 I’ll be on trouble if I ever suddenly need to appear on The Price is Right, but I’m willing to risk it. (Sounds like a good movie!)
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Love it! In the past year, I have also whittled my bigger bag to a small one with a built-in wallet — in fact I have two of them. One is so small it barely fits my phone and credit cards. It fits my current life better. I just use a “tote” bag if I need to take my computer with me. It is nice to lighten our loads. But, I want to hear more about the mugging!
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There was no actual mugging, thank the Lord. All this was in preparation to lessen that possibility … which suggests I just can’t stop being a Girl Scout even with a tiny purse!
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I got rid of the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink bag a few years ago. I don’t miss the other stuff, nor can I even remember what it was!
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I’m not missing it, either!!! Tiny purses rock.
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It was a joke in Mum’s family from an aunt who called any boring moments at the theatre or cinema ‘Turn out your handbag time’. Our purses are only for money and your purses are our handbags – but the contents are much the same.
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Good to know this a universal issue!! Happy New Year!
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I never carry a purse! I keep a clutch with cards, cash and license in my trunk. I have lost/ forgotten too many purses along the way. This is my solution. Also have no young people/ husband to be chief nurse/ catch-all for. Congratulations on lightening yourself!
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You are a brave woman — no purse at all. I, too, keep “supplies” in my car trunk. That box of readiness would have to be a separate post! Maybe I’ll tackle that later in the year. 🙂
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Wonderful post Nora, the vivid analogy is so true. It is so easy to weigh ourselves down, trying to lug around baggage. Instead we can cast all our cares unto the Lord. He had everything we need.
Thanks for sharing 🤗🙏💜
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Hey, Yonnie! Hope your year is off to a blessed start!
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Yes, indeed. Thanks so much, appreciate you asking! So glad yours is off to a blessed start.
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Yes!
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😊
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I had to laugh at this one! My solution is to have a big tote bag that I keep in the car with a lot of the things you listed plus sunblock, hand sanitizer, a sewing kit, and magnifying glass I have a much smaller bag with a long strap, more like an oversized wallet, that holds cash, credit cards, my cell phone, car keys, and my epipen, Benadryl, and aspirin, for the same stated reasons. It is all I need as I move about; the rest is in the car giving me a feeling of security. I don’t have the anointing oil or the whistle, but I’ll put them on my list…
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🙂 Just don’t leave the oil in your car in the summer. It can and will go rancid! Whistles are pretty much weatherproof though.
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Duly noted!
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I love your phrasing – “mommed out.” Yes, as we get older, our purses and our butts get bigger. >sigh<
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Hahahahaha! I complained to my husband that my seat (at the kitchen table) was getting wobbly. “It happens to all of us eventually,” he said. I glared. He fixed the chair.
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😀 !
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Your bag is worse than mine. I thought I carry the ambulance in my purse.
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Ah, but you actually know what to do in a medical emergency. I’ve just read a magazine article here or there and have thrown something in. (The one time someone I know did have a heart attack, I forgot to get out the aspirin — although I did do plenty of praying. All turned out well. 🙂 God didn’t forget to help!)
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I am glad that your friend had made a full recovery. Sometimes, Prayer work than medication. We could only fight to save somebody but we cann’t win the desire of God. It is what I have learned working over many years. Thanks
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That is true! He is the source of life — now and forever. Blessings, Sara!
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Extremely well written. All human beings have some or other problems. Only God almighty is perfect and greatest. Btw its great to know that you are doing great.
Best regards!🌹
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🙂 We are all pretty quirky! New Year blessings, Atul!
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Same to you dear Nora!! 🌹
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This cracked me up because my purse is the same way!! Why I think I need 4 Chapsticks is beyond me. 😂
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In case the first THREE run out. Like my pens! 🙂
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😂😂. Nora, you made me laugh so hard. My daughter, Rachel sounds just like that. We’ve accused her of carrying everything in her purse but the kitchen sink. Whatever you need, she can usually produce. And I’m sure the weight of her purse exceeds yours.
How free you must feel. I used to carry heavy purses but mostly when I go out, I only carry a little clutch. Lol
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🙂 I have a biz meeting this morning. I’ve got my little cross body and a big tote for my laptop etc. Old habits…
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I still haven’t gotten to the point of not clutching the door handle or pumping an imaginary brake when my daughter drives–and she just turned 45!
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Oh, no! I think it was because we were on an oddly empty highway. In town, my foot is continually on the floor. I’ve spent so much time in the car with her, now I’m doing it when my husband drives, as well. Shhh!
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You secret is safe with me!
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🙂
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Hi Nora loved your post and made me laugh, I prefer less luggage more comfort when we are going out with cabs or something like that but my daughter enjoys to taking three pair of shoes and several accessories….! 🌹
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Three pairs of shoes!! I had better not let my youngest hear that. She’s such a fashionista it would probably give her the idea of changing outfits midday. 🙂
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Hahaha that is right, don’t tell her! 😂
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I learned to lighten my purse after I broke my arm (a stupid accident, totally unrelated to the weight of said purse 😄) three years ago! Why do we carry so much, indeed?
Thank you for the laughter, Nora!
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🙂 It was kind of fun to laugh at myself. I’m totally loving my new purse!
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I’m a “lite bag/contents” user…that’s because I don’t have a car to sling everything else into it – and I regularly go through it, weeding out things not needed, taking a lesser object if I’ve a smaller (this will do) … last week I inquired about getting a keyring bus card but apparently they don’t have them for my type of card, annoying as my current one isn’t made to be on a keyring!
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🙂 Sounds like you have a good plan. That’s cool that you don’t have a car. Public transit is great if there’s enough of it!!
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Funny, and take care of that back! Take care and thank you for following.
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🙂 You’re welcome.
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