Lost luggage

Finding what I really need

Jun 08, 2023

In the middle of the journey I came to myself within a dark wood where the straight way was lost. — Dante Alighieri

It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves - in finding themselves. — André Gide

My daughter and I traveled East this week to spend some time with my mom. On our way, my luggage was accidentally taken by another passenger on the shuttle from the hotel to the airport.

BOOM: anxiety rushed in. My shoulders tensed. My breath shortened. I went into overdrive, overdo, and overflow. I was fast, curt, flustered, and hot. Hello, anger. Hello, frustration.

Needless to say, I was not at my best in this moment.

Just as I was swirling in that hot stew, my daughter reached over and put her hand on my heart.

Yes - she really did that.

Are you smiling too?

With that small gesture, she brought calmness and connection to a harried moment. That small gesture brought me back to seeing what was really there:

a beautiful, sunny morning on the way to see my mom
my daughter, teaching me what I have tried (and apparently succeeded) in teaching her;
the kindness of strangers to help me through the morning (thanks to the driver, the nice man at the NJ Transit kiosk, and the NJ Transit conductor);
the good fortune and privilege of having money to shift our plans and replenish necessities.

A breath here. Two, actually.

She reminded me what was the most important thing: nothing that’s really in a piece of luggage. It didn’t matter that I lost my stuff anymore. It’s just stuff.

With a little more space, I find myself asking: what do you really need?

I might have lost my glasses and contact lenses but I can actually see quite well: so much of travel is dragging luggage behind me. Heaving what we bring with us.

What’s here now? Without luggage, without baggage, without anxiousness, without the weight of all that….what do you really need?

Prompts for you:

What is in your metaphorical luggage? What do you lug around with you?
Put your hand on your heart. With that small gesture, what can you see that you didn’t see before?
What do you really need?