A Suitcase Full of "Just in Case"

I was in a deep funk yesterday. Between all the tragedies going on in the world, and the mess that was my house, I couldn't motivate myself to move. So I didn't. I sat in front of my computer most of the day scanning website after website for any news that might not be so horrific. I was unsuccessful.

Fortunately, I remained online long enough for my "flybuddy" to appear and we began to chat. I don't know why I ever brought it up, but I started asking her what I should do with all my boxes that I never unpacked from the time we moves a year and a half ago. I know the theory: if you haven't needed it in a year, then you don't need it at all. But we're living in a temporary home and I was concerned that we would need a lot of these things once we moved.

Somehow, my friend convinced me to get up and do something because just sitting and staring at a computer wasn't helping me at all. So I went to wash my dishes. While washing them, my daughter came over to me and asked if she could have two band-aids to wear to bed. Apparently, she had fallen at school, scraped her knees and she wanted to protect them. I investigated. Her knees looked perfect. So I told her that at night, when we're not moving around so much, our boo-boo's will be ok and that its good for them to have some air. I also reassured her that if they still bothered her in the morning, I'd give her the band-aids then. 

She then asked me, "But what if I fall off my bed in the night? I need them just in case!" 

I answered her, "We don't live our lives for 'just in case'."

That's when it hit me. I have an entire storage shed filled with "just in case". From clothing in a zillion sizes, to extra furniture, rugs, printers and dishes. And that's just the stuff that I know is in there!

And really, what's the purpose of living a "just in case" life when you don't even remember what "just in case" items you even have. 

That's no longer "just in case". That's "waste of space".