On the day before my 49th birthday, I bought a pill organizer. Yes, a humble $0.99 container with seven compartments, one for each day of the week. A rite of passage into the age of wisdom! Here’s the story of the organizer, the pills, and the playful musings that come with it.
The pills in my pill organizer
- Daily multivitamin
Once upon a time, gummy vitamins seemed like the pinnacle of health and convenience. Then, I learned the truth: in the gummi form, the vitamins degrade over time. To compensate, manufacturers cram gummies with excess vitamins—enough to fortify a small country—so they don’t get sued. Hard pass. Now I take the hard-pill version. It’s cheaper, too! Remember when gummy multivitamins cost $8? Now they’re $20. I love a good gummy, but now I’m willing to swallow the pill to save some cents. - Daily allergy pill (Loratadine)
Chicagoland allergies are their own season. Spring, summer, fall, winter… pollen. I should look up when allergy season ends around here. Or maybe it doesn’t, and we’re just trapped in an endless sneeze cycle. - Daily probiotic gummy
Probiotics are all the rage, so I picked the cheapest bottle at Target: the store-brand “up&up.” At $0.14 a gummy, it’s a steal compared to Walgreens’ $0.45-a-pop probiotics.
A quick warning: the bottle on Target’s website has a white cap, but the one on the shelf has a red cap. I spent 10 minutes searching for the mythical white-capped bottle before realizing I was chasing a mirage.
Oh, and these gummies? I imagine they are gummi ewoks. As we all know, Ewoks eat humans, so eating these gummies feels like sweet, candy-coated revenge. TAKE THAT, EWOKS! Admittedly, putting sugar-coated gummies in a pill organizer might backfire when the sugar flakes off. But making silly mistakes keeps us young, right?
The organizer itself
I picked up the organizer for $0.99 at Wal-Mart. (Yes, I cheated on Target. Don’t tell.) I was there to grab the 2024 Kids Chrismas Gift Catalogs for my daughters, but I recalled I’ve been meaning to purchase a pill organizer.
At first, I hesitated. Would I actually use a pill organizer, or would it end up gathering dust like that “As Seen on TV” pancake batter dispenser? But at 99 cents, it felt like a low-stakes experiment.
Having used it for a whopping one day, I already have ideas for my next pill organizer:
- A jumbo-sized version for my secret stash of Halloween mini-size Milky Ways.
- One with labels in a foreign language, so I can accidentally take Tuesday’s pills on Monday.
- Maybe one shaped like Optimus Prime, so it transforms from a pill dispenser into a beacon of hope.
Currently, it sits on my desk next to my Astrotrain Transformer.
In its train form, Astrotrain could totally pass as the pill organizer’s bulky older brother. If only the pills inside transformed into something cooler—like caffeine shots or mini cupcakes.
On getting older
It’s fitting to talk about a pill organizer as I approach 49. Isn’t that what “experienced” folks do—discuss their meds and ailments?
I don’t mind sharing my age on Facebook (or anywhere else, really). In fact, I’m kind of famous for my views on age. Ever heard the quote, “Age is not how old you are, but how many years of fun you’ve had”? Yep, that’s mine! It’s been shared hundreds of times online and even made it into a book.
I’ll include a screenshot from Google Books to prove I’m not making this up.
There I am, as quote #06.
The name of the book? “100 Quotes About Celebrating The Wisdom Of Aging Gracefully – That Will Transform Your Life“
And yes, ahem, it’s just a Kindle book only. No print. But check out that publication date—it’s my birthday!
Maybe I should celebrate my upcoming milestone birthday by commissioning a motivational poster of my quote. Or better yet, put it on a custom pill organizer!
Buying a pill organizer is like a tiny metaphor for aging: you accept where you are, embrace what you need, and make it as fun as possible. And hey, if that means imagining probiotics as Ewok gummies or comparing your multivitamin stash to a Transformer, so be it.
So, what’s in your pill organizer? Got any quirky aging rituals or tips? Let’s hear them!
My “refill the pill containers” has become a monthly ritual—I fill four weeks at a time. Some prescriptions but more vitamins and supplements. Gummies go stale in those containers so if I have something in gummy form, I usually leave it in the bottle it came in.
Yeah, the gummies do get kinda stale in this pill container. I wonder what would happen if each compartment was air-tight. Would it still go stale since it’s in a compartment by itself? Maybe I should try stuffing seven gummies into one day’s compartment. Oh man. This is genius. I literally just thought of this right now while writing this comment.
I take 5 in the morning and a duplicate of one in the evening. I tired embracing a pill organizer but as noted, they are not air-tight
Your reflection on using a pill organizer for the first time is both relatable and unexpectedly profound. The way you frame this mundane milestone with humor and introspection—acknowledging aging while celebrating small acts of self-care—is brilliant. It’s a gentle reminder that adulthood’s “firsts” don’t stop in our 20s. The post’s lighthearted tone makes the topic accessible, though a nod to how others navigate similar transitions could spark fun discussions. A delightful read that turns practicality into poetry!
Thank you