Symbolism in a suitcase

It's a curious thing how the smallest, most unremarkable items can hold the most meaning and tell such personal stories. I recently packed my blue suitcase for my holiday travels west to Oklahoma. The edges are worn, the frame bent. A wheel is missing and a jagged metal point juts dangerously where the handle used to be. Its unkept, humble appearance may sneak by some without notice; others might scoff at its tattered exterior as it passes on the conveyor belt. I now see it for the story it tells...

Merely a yearling when Mom was diagnosed last July, the suitcase quickly matured through heavy travel as I zigzagged between Maryland and Oklahoma, and eventually Colorado. By air or by road, I'd find my way back nearly every three weeks and, by April, I was living out of my suitcase like Diane and Jill. For six months, my sisters and I dutifully opened our luggage, put on our cleanest dirty shirts, pulled up pants (no longer form-fitting for a variety of reasons), and pulled back our hair. A limited selection of garments fell into heavy rotation as our traditionally minimalist ways left the luggage more empty than full. (Needless to say, accessories and hair dryers didn't make the cut.) All we needed were the staples, something relatively presentable, and Mom and Craig. That was enough. Apart from sidebar reflections on life, we never complained about the inconveniences of living out of suitcases for 6 months. There are far larger misfortunes to bemoan in life.

I never really paid attention to the toll that suitcase took over the last year until recently, when the wheel came off (literally). Much like a passerby wouldn't know the reason for the tired face and saggy eyes, as it circled the conveyor belt, you wouldn't know where the suitcase had been or what it had experienced for it to have earned its nicks. Another long trip to the Bahamas? Another long night at the clubs? Or, a more horrific story left untold? Looking at it now is like looking in a mirror; I see its wrinkles, its dark circles, its gaunt sides. As durable and strong as it is, the everyday wear and tear left an indelible mark upon its frame.

It's interesting how much in life goes unnoticed. Give it pause, and it can reveal so much in a moments notice. I guess the story lives in the details. ~E