SPECIAL FEATURE BY ALLIÉ MCGUIRE
THE SPOON LIFE
A SYMBOL AND A STATEMENT OF SUPPORT
More than a metaphor for life, the spoon is a symbol and a statement for living each day 'a spoonful at a time'. Spoons represent energy. You wake every morning with only so many 'spoons'. You can't control the number of spoons you have. You can only control how they're spent. So, how will your spoons be spent? For those with an invisible illness, fatigue can be a major issue. If you don't have a chronic condition, the concept of severe fatigue can be difficult to understand. This is where 'the spoon theory' comes in. Here's how the story goes... Lupus patient Christine Miserandino felt that words were insufficient to adequately communicate to able-bodied people what it is like to struggle daily with chronic illness. Instead, she used 12 spoons in a café as a metaphor for her daily energy stores and gave the spoons to her friend, taking one back every time an activity like taking a shower or getting dressed was mentioned. The message gradually got through to Christine’s friend, who was shocked by the revelations of the experiment. The Spoon Life Necklace is designed to serve as a reminder that we only have so many 'spoons'. While you can't control the quantity of spoons you have, you can control the quality of their use. Do the best with what you have. Find comfort and confidence in putting your spoons to good use. This necklace serves as way to show and share support with empathy. To learn more and to purchase, please visit the following: www.awarenessties.us/the-spoon-life
86 AWARENOW / THE STAND UP EDITION
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