When was the last time you looked at the contents of your purse? Are you carrying as much today as you did five or ten years ago?
I don’t carry nearly as much as I once did. Four years ago, when Mom was still with us and going to dialysis, I had a large purse that measured 8 inches wide and 11 inches high so that I could carry a ridiculous number of things.
Just in case.
I filled my purse with things that Mom used to call “just in case.” Here is a list of everything I carried:
I was in the throes of perimenopause, so I had a change of underwear and pads for myself
Wallets: Mom’s and mine
two pens
magnifying card
sunglasses
facial tissue
small flashlight
small sewing kit
safety pins
eyeglass wipes
eyeglass repair kit
bandages
phone and extra charger
the house keys
all-purpose tool
measuring tape
several pieces of hard candy
two emery boards
disposable toothbrushes
$3.00 of loose change on the bottom
a small book of matches
And in my purse for Mom:
a change of underpants
a cosmetic bag that we called “the candy store,” which contained fun-size candy bars, peanut butter cheese crackers, ten pieces of hard candy root beer flavored, and mints
and another cosmetic bag called “the pharmacy” with two days’ worth of Mom’s medications, an insulin pen, a travel-size bottle of hand lotion, and four tablets of ibuprofen and acetaminophen each.
We carried a duffle bag with a blanket in it to keep warm during her dialysis treatment. We had a full load.
After Mom died and I finally entered menopause, I ended the habit of carrying everything but the kitchen sink around. I found I needed to look for a smaller purse. Shopping for handbags is grueling; they are either too big or too small. And the handbags I thought were just right—weren’t.
I use a convenient cosmetic bag until I find a purse that will keep me in check (so I won’t go overboard filling it with unnecessary things). I can put it under my arm and get things done when we’re out and about.
In the cosmetic bag I carry:
my wallet
sunglasses
two pads (just in case ?)
a pen
four mints
the house keys
a small magnifying card
an all-purpose tool
my phone
a spare protective mask
That’s it in a nutshell, or rather a purse: no frills, no candy store or pharmacy, just the bare minimum to get me by.
Now it’s your turn.
What do you carry in your purse? Have the contents of your purse changed through the years? How?
Let us know in the comment section.
xoxo
JoAnn
Peace