Baggage

We all have baggage. Some are heavier than others. Some have their baggage packed in multiple suitcases. Can anyone see your baggage? Do you hide your baggage in a closet, do you pretend to those around you that no baggage exists? Do those people in your circle carry any of that baggage for you? Do you expect them to?

Imagine being at a train station. What do you have around you? Are there 7 suitcases, stacked neatly at your side, each one heavier than the next? Is there one large trunk packed with everything you carry around? Journal what your baggage looks like if you were to physically represent it all.

What do you expect from the people in your life? Do you share what is in those suitcases with them? Many of us are afraid if we show people the messy suitcases full of our past, they will view us differently. Even if that suitcase is packed neatly with events from our past, issues we are trying to resolve, or memories, they still may not want anything to do with joining us on a journey.

I have so many treasures that I move from city to city with me each time I relocate. They have very little monetary value; they are not always displayed in my home. They are pieces my mother collected, family heirlooms, or just mementos that bring me joy. I cannot bring myself to part with them. I pay, each month, for a storage locker just so I don’t have to get rid of them. Many would look at those items and call them junk. They would shake their head at me and tell me to just let go of them. I choose not to. They are important enough to me to keep. Do I expect anyone to feel the same way about those items, absolutely not. I don’t even expect anyone to understand how I feel about keeping them.

Your baggage is the same. It costs you to keep it. You decide what you keep and what you toss. If you have trauma or past issues that you feel you need to address, then unpack them. Nobody can tell you when it is the right time to take items out of your suitcase. Maybe you are still at a stage in your life where you are throwing things into that suitcase daily.

If the people in your life know about the baggage, do they help you carry it? I think I would want to know how heavy someone’s load is. Those close to me should be able to count on me to carry some of that load, if I offer. I try and surround myself with those that would, if I needed them to, help me sort through the contents. For those near me that have baggage, I must be careful not to carry so much of their baggage that I cannot handle my own. This is where our boundaries come into play.

Our journey is not always easy. It is an amazing adventure if we are willing to embrace it. Just remember, in order to embrace someone, you must have your arms free of baggage. That is an important reason to do the work necessary to clear out the luggage and carry less on our journey.