I grew up traveling on airplanes. My first airplane ride was when I was 6 months old, when my family flew to England to visit where my mom grew up. Since then, we have taken many more family trips to Arizona, California, Nevada, internationally, and more.
Each time we go, there is always a moment of panic when you walk up to the counter to check your bag in – “How much will it weigh?” You see, if you are not super familiar with flying, your bag must be less than 50 pounds, or it will cost additional money for each pound over. When you are a family of five women traveling for more than four days, and that includes shopping at some point… well, you approach the 50-pound limit quickly, especially when you pack many things “just in case” rather than just necessities.
I have many memories of myself, my sisters, or my mom moving things from one bag to another, to my grandmother’s, or Dad’s suitcases that were under weight to ensure that all of us hit the under 50-pound requirement.
We laugh about it now, but so many times in the moment, it was incredibly stressful. Moving things around until everyone’s bags were light enough. How many times do we play “musical things” or pack too many “just in case items” for our days ahead that cause stress or worry, instead of trusting God to provide for us continually. Those moments going to/from the airport worrying about the weight of our bags can steal so much joy out of otherwise fun and special moments.
As I pack for our next trip, I am going to be mindful, only packing necessities and not so many “what if” items, so that no stress can steal my joy before, during, or after the trip. I encourage you to travel lighter and pack less, both mentally and physically through this week and beyond. When you start to feel you are approaching the weight limit, carrying too much, and it starts to steal your joy, take some weight off by giving it to God.
– Mandi Moon, Director, St. Luke’s Children’s Center
