I reached into my purse for a pen the other day and pulled out a piece of driftwood. I know my purse is a place where weird things go to die, but even I was surprised by the driftwood.
That alerted me to the fact that it was past time to clean it out.
I looked online and found a mom who is a professional organizer. I laughed out loud at the conversation she had with her husband.
HER: “They should make a purse with wheels on the bottom, so I don’t have to lug this thing around.”
HIM: “They do. It’s called a suitcase and you have a problem.”
Apparently, even super organizers have handbag issues! I was so happy to hear it.
I think my problems started when I became a mom. Gone were the days of tiny bags with car keys, my ID and a lip gloss in them. Suddenly, I needed extra diapers, bottles, burp cloths, etc. It became not about what I needed, but what my babies needed.
That meant that the size of my purses grew too. I started setting off the seatbelt sensor because they were so big and heavy.
I stopped choosing purses for fashion and began buying the most durable ones I could find. They still didn’t last long (purse straps can only take so much!). I’d work them to death, toss them when they got too ratty and replace them with another huge, sturdy bag.
As my kids grew, I did try to train them to carry their own stuff, but somehow mom’s purse was still the landing spot for matchbox cars, sticks, rocks, and snacks. I even started having shoulder problems from lugging a “suitcase” around.
My kids are grown now, and I recently downsized to a smaller bag. That doesn’t mean my purse contents have improved much. After I pulled the driftwood out, I was curious about what else I had squirreled away, so I pulled everything out and laid it out for my (and your) perusal. Here is what I found:
- Seven pieces of driftwood!
- Two packs of dental floss and a lip gloss (from when I went to the dentist months ago).
- Mints, Tums, and gum.
- A protein bar, two packs of Kleenex, and a small calendar.
- My wallet, checkbook, three pens and two insulin pens (one empty).
- A small pouch containing lip balm and lipstick.
- A huge wad of used tissues I call: “At-least-you-know-I-don’t-litter”.
- An old Covid mask.
- Sunglasses, reading glasses, broken sunglasses, and glasses with the wrong prescription lenses.
- Old receipts, a claw-clip, garden seeds, and two fortune cookies.
I was pretty amazed that all that fit into my small (ish) purse.
PC: Ann Kirsten
According to the organizer lady, a purse should contain:
- Keys
- Money and credit cards.
- ID.
- A phone.
- Personal items, including make-up and medicines.
- One pen and a small notebook.
- Sunglasses
And that’s it! Nowhere did she mention driftwood or fortune cookies.
I mean, this world is full of treasures and what is life if you can’t tuck a few oddities into your purse every once in a while.
Oh, and she said a purse should be cleaned out once a week. Yeah, right. I usually wait until my zipper won’t zip.
I think our purse contents say a lot about who we are. I’ve given up on mine ever staying tidy and organized, but hey, if you need a pair of broken sunglasses or a used tissue, you know who to call.
So, what purse phase are you in? Is your bag stuffed with toys and diapers, or do you have matching accessories that are neatly placed?
Be brave and empty yours and send us a picture. Please, please, please! I find it fascinating. It’s like an archeological dig. Who knows what treasure you will find!
“And he said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.” Matthew 13:52
I smiled when I read this scripture as:
“Therefore every mom who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a mistress of a house, who brings out of her purse what is new and what is old.”
Or, how about this:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish (read purse), but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.” (I mean how many used tissues DO I need?) Matthew 23:25
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Read more of Ann’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.
