12 Aug 2026
It’s OK To Say founder and CEO Stacey Turner, continues bringing life to the everyday places and things around us…
If my handbag could talk, I’m fairly certain it would have some opinions. The first thing it would probably say is: “Can we please have a conversation about boundaries?”
Because during the summer holidays, my handbag stops being a handbag. It becomes a survival kit. A mobile command centre. A portable snack cupboard. A first aid box.
And, apparently, a place where my family believe anything they don’t want to carry can magically disappear.
Somewhere inside there are receipts and loyalty cards from coffee shops I visited months ago, several pens (although finding one that works is another challenge), a lip balm I thought I’d lost, sunglasses that have somehow vanished despite being “definitely in there”, and something I picked up thinking: “This will definitely come in handy one day.”
Spoiler alert. It usually doesn’t.
But summer changes everything.
The school holidays arrive, routines shift, and suddenly leaving the house requires preparation on a whole new level.
Have we got water? Sunscreen? Hats? Snacks? Chargers? Something to keep everyone entertained?
And because my daughters are now teenagers, the contents of my handbag have evolved. I no longer carry spare clothes, wipes and emergency toddler snacks.
Now I carry:
A portable charger because apparently a phone battery at 12% is considered a genuine emergency.
Hair ties that nobody needs until the exact moment they desperately do.
A variety of lip products.
Snacks that are apparently “for later” but mysteriously disappear before we’ve even left the house.
And the classic teenage phrase: “Can you just hold this for a minute?” Every parent of teenagers knows that “a minute” is not actually a measurement of time. It’s a commitment. That item has now moved in.
And then there’s the heat.
After writing recently about the Australian sun safety message Slip, Slop, Slap — slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat — I realised there’s definitely another summer essential we need to add: Stay cool.
Because whilst sunshine can be wonderful, there comes a moment when everyone is hot, tired and questioning why you ever suggested leaving the house.
Especially when you’re standing in a queue and someone announces: “I’m too hot.”
Followed shortly by: “I’m hungry.”
And then: “How much longer?”
Usually repeated several times within a very short space of time.
This is where my latest handbag essential comes in.
The portable cooling gadget. A small but mighty addition that has quickly earned its place amongst the sunscreen, sunglasses and emergency snacks.
Because sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference. And isn’t that true of life too? We often think wellbeing has to involve grand gestures. But sometimes it’s much simpler.
A cool breeze on a hot day. A drink of water when we realise we’ve forgotten to hydrate. Taking five minutes in the shade. Remembering that looking after ourselves matters too.
As my daughters have grown older, I’ve realised that whilst the things we carry change, the reason behind them often stays the same.
We carry things because we care. We carry things because we want to help. We carry things because we’re trying to make life a little easier for the people we love.
But perhaps we also need to remember to make space for ourselves.
At It’s OK To Say, we often talk about checking in with ourselves, not just everyone around us. Because whilst we are busy making memories, organising days out and ensuring everyone else has what they need, we also need to ask: How am I? Am I resting? Am I enjoying this moment? Am I allowing myself to simply be?
Perhaps there is a little psychology hidden in my handbag too. We often talk about “emotional baggage” — the worries, expectations, responsibilities and experiences we carry with us. And just like my handbag, sometimes we don’t even notice how much we are carrying until it starts to feel heavy.
The interesting thing is that every item in my handbag has a purpose. I choose the lipstick. I choose the sunglasses. I choose the portable charger. I choose the things that make my day easier, brighter or a little more enjoyable.
So perhaps we can ask ourselves the same question about the things we carry emotionally.
What have we chosen to carry? What have we picked up along the way? And what might we need to gently let go of? Because just as I have a right to decide what goes into my handbag, we also have a right to decide what we carry with us through life.
Not every expectation needs to be ours. Not every worry needs to stay. Not every opinion needs to take up space. Sometimes looking after our wellbeing means creating room for the things that truly matter.
So, if my handbag could talk, I suspect it would have one final request. Less receipts. Less random objects. And maybe, just maybe, a little more space.
Although knowing me, that space would probably be filled with another “summer essential” within a week. Because that’s what handbags do. They carry what we need. They carry what we think we might need. They carry reminders of the people we love. And occasionally, they carry a little bit of chaos too.
But perhaps that’s part of the magic. Because hidden amongst the sunscreen, snacks and summer survival tools are the things that help us create memories.
And maybe there’s a lesson hidden in there too. Just like we choose what we place inside our handbags, we can also choose what we allow ourselves to carry. Because our wellbeing matters.
And sometimes, the kindest thing we can do for ourselves is make space for what brings us joy, connection and peace. After all, we only have one life to carry. So we should be mindful about what we choose to bring along for the journey.
If you’ve been affected by any of the themes or experiences shared in this article, please don’t hesitate to reach out to It’s OK To Say. We’re always here for you. You matter. Mental health matters.
