My briefcase travels back and forth with me to work every day.  It is part office, part snack drawer, and part time capsule. 

The practical items are easy to explain – my laptop, a charger (or two), reMarkable, and a pair of headphones. These days I don’t even carry a pen since I am obsessed with my reMarkable.  Sometimes you might find an apple or some pretzels somewhere in there although with full disclosure, neither might be as fresh as they should be. 

Then there are the sentimental things. For years, I carried an old Ziploc bag that held old cards and letters going back to a handwritten note from my grandfather when he gave me a watch as a graduation gift. He was a jokester and his note reflected his comedy and goodwill.  None of these are particularly useful but they always made me smile, including all of the notes from my kids that wound their way to that Ziploc.  At some point, they were disintegrating and so I stopped carrying the Ziploc and decided to keep it safe in a desk drawer at home.

Finally, there are the forgotten items -- loose paper clips, some Advil, and receipts I was definitely going to organize a long time ago.

I think your briefcase may say more about you than you might expect.  I’d like to think mine suggests I like to be prepared and I’m a little bit sentimental.

How about you?