Spoons

Pete & I rely on Spoon Theory as a handy shortcut with each other for our energy levels & ability to do things. Spoon Theory uses the idea that you start each day with a set amount of spoons. Everything you do costs a spoon. Waking up, eating, getting dressed, bathing, commuting, working, everything costs a spoon. Understanding how many spoons each daily activity costs require introspection & practice, & is highly worth it. All healing requires introspection, even if it's only that something's wrong.

It's very easy to overspend your spoons, especially in the early stages. But borrowing from the next day makes it harder to catch up. Therefore, rest is a requirement. It's hard to rest, especially in a culture that demands you keep moving, working, going. Rest, over time, helps you build your spoon levels. A well rested person is able to do more than one who just keeps slogging on.

We (Pete & I) have been very low on spoons this week. Car troubles, one of our cats having a health scare that we're waiting to hear results on, encounters with the in-laws, on top of the other daily stressors, are eating away our spoons faster than normal. That makes it all the more important to be mindful & to communicate. That has been the biggest strength we have developed together.

It requires vulnerability & courage to open yourself up to even the most compatible of partners. It's scary at times, but it's worth it. It makes life not easier, but more manageable when you are able to say I don't have the spoons for that & have it be accepted as truth without qualifiers. That makes it easier to adapt, to pivot, & move on to another path forward.

It's crazy to think how all of this healing & growth can be wrapped up with something as simple as a spoon.