MY MOM’S PURSE & MY BACKPACK
My Mom insists on taking her purse everywhere she goes.
I see absolutely no need for her to do so. It’s a large bag which consistently gets in the way. When she’s attempting to get into the car, which is a difficult maneuver, she always reaches for this purse first. The purse is stored in the pocket of her walker which also needs to be put in the vehicle. Coordinating the folding of the walker, guiding her into a seat & fastening the seat belt all while trying to keep up with her purse gets complicated.
The purse is large and she almost always carries it wide open—without the zipper or clasp closed. A prime target for a NYC pickpocket. It would be no challenge to reach in and take out whatever you please. I’m used to living in a big city where one must be a tad cautious.
And as for what the all-necessary purse contains, I have no idea. For the purposes of this story, I decided to investigate. The purse contains pocket size Kleenex, an empty eyeglass case (she needs to wear her glasses at all times); therefore, no need for the case. Also included in the contents is her smartphone and a wallet containing her important papers such as an ID, SS Card, Health Insurance Card, the paper Medicare card, an AARP card along with several expired versions of each. The purse also holds pens and perhaps a compact mirror and lipstick.
On the surface those items may seem necessary for an elderly woman on an outing. The challenge is that she is completely unable to navigate her own steps and keep up with what appears to me as an extra large purse. The other thing is that I am the one who has to keep up with her purse.
“Where’s my bag?” She often asks.
Her bag is usually on her lap, right beside her or in the pocket of her walker.
“Where’s my bag?”
I have long ago given up the fight for a smaller purse. I realized that if she simply carried a purse large enough to hold the wallet and her phone, she would most likely lose it very quickly.
I also decided that her purse complete with all the items she used to carry helps her to maintain a sense of herself. And although extremely annoying, I would not want to take that feeling away from her.
Curiously, since I’ve become a Caregiver, I have taken to carrying a Backpack. Even though I have plethora of purses from which to choose, I carry a Backpack daily.
My Backpack is equipped to make a fast get-away. That’s wishful thinking. At any rate it holds…
- A small wristlet with cards and cash that can be taken out and carried solo.
- Sunglasses – because the sun is shining somewhere
- A cool pill box – Advil, Tylenol, Benadryl in multiple doses
- Lip gloss, Lip balm and Visine
- Sample size perfume
- A small journal and pens – there’s always something worthy of writing
- 2 Phones & a Travel Charger
- Breath Mints
- Extra Earbuds to control the sounds surrounding me
- A Lighter and a Swiss Army Knife
- An emergency Starbucks card
- A Mustard Seed symbolizing my Faith
- My good luck stone & the Rabbit’s foot that has been in my Backpack since College
- A snack just in case I’m held hostage
- My Passport (4 that get-away I dream of)
If you let your mind wander for just a minute, you will realize that all of the items listed are relatively small and do not fill a Backpack completely. Therefore, my Backpack is also available to pick up items along my way.
For instance, when I purchase a bottle of wine and the cashier asks, “Do you need a bag?”
I confidently respond, “No thanks, I’ll put it in my Backpack.”
Like Mother, like Daughter? Perhaps.
“Where’s my bag?” My Mother asks again…
J. GEILS BAND – “FIRST I LOOK AT THE PURSE”
https://youtu.be/jqIwPQs6qW4?si=Du1xzCr9KKEwgujP
A CAREGIVER’S CONSCIENCE PODCAST – “SHUTDOWN”
https://youtu.be/KVT9jHC-aSA?si=5soRZe3ZhLfDekm0
A CAREGIVER’S CONSCIENCE PODCAST – “SAVING FACE AS A CAREGIVER”
https://youtu.be/SaUdM3u0ayg?si=UvFxzXb6pRyKy1SR
A CAREGIVER’S CONSCIENCE – THE BLOG
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