This might refer to his claim that the child support is all paid up or a metaphor for a view of life as an investment. A return to the journey metaphor. This is an example of a metaphorical story. The mediator takes a life experience and shares it with the mother as a way of telling her that she cannot have the type of control over behavior that she would like to have. The larger view metaphor - relationship as a snapshot using the same metaphor as the wife at 24.
Life is a journey and our problems are carried in our suitcases.
Staying with the journey metaphor the mediator switches to see if they could think of a small step for the other to take. To match the small step, the mediator uses a container or trinket metaphor reminding each of them how small it is. They are not asked to do anything significant. The journey has been reversed. Activity as a skill.