Excess Baggage August 26, 2010

Have you ever found that you’d overpacked suitcase, leaving you no option but to re-pack so it would meet airline regulations? I have. It’s tough. Trying to fit all the wonderful things you’d like to give someone at your destination, plus the stuff you need, plus that extra pair of shoes (just because they are cute, and who knows, you might need them)…that’s a challenge. But, the adventure doesn’t stop there – after we pack it all in, we’ve got to measure it; weighing the bag on a bathroom scale in hopes that the number is less than 50. You know, so all that junk can go with you.

After many overseas trips filled with fun afternoons of preparation described above, I know all-too-well what a 50 pound bag feels like. How hard it is to lug it to the scale, and balance it on the little square of knowledge. Then, the challenge of dragging the thing (assuming those handy wheels work right) to the car, lifting it into the trunk, and taking it out again. Rolling it thru the airport, and finally handing it over to some poor airline worker who has to deal with all that weight between boarding and destination. Yep, that luggage is a hassle.

It wasn’t until a year after my weight loss that I realized how much of a “true weight” had been lifted off me. See, I’m a visual person, so while 65 pounds is great as a number on a readout or a weight chart, the reality of the progress I’d made hit when I thought about luggage. Packing those bags for another trip, barely making it to the scale, straining my back to lift the bag, and reading the number. 49.5 pounds. And I could barely lift it. A sweet whisper in my spirit reminded me that I’ve lost that, plus a carry on bag! (ok, so maybe my purse alone weighs 15 pounds, but you know what I mean…)

Progress. Success. The realization that the weight I could barely lift with two hands was the weight that used to be dragged around atop my bones every day. Everywhere. No wonder I was tired all the time. No wonder my joints were aching and arthritis was setting in. No wonder. I had some serious baggage.

I can honestly say, this is the first, and only time, I’ll ever be glad to lose my luggage! That 65 pounds is the baggage I never want to lug around again. Ever.

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