Spoons a weird recovery barometer
While discussing recovery w/ a few parents in an online support group found on Facebook today the topic turned to spoons… Yes kitchen spoons!
Only a group of parent w/ addicted kids in various points in recovery journey could discuss the common household spoon in such depth.
The abundance or absence of spoons becomes a weird household barometer of recovery for your child or spouse. Many agreed.
My comment on having or not having spoons on Facebook looked like this :
for a parent ..one of the gifts of their sobriety is that we can stir our coffee w/ a spoon again (because we can actually find a spoon in the kitchen again) vs. a fork or knife or pencil (ok im kidding about the pencil)
17 minutes ago · Like · 2 people
Other parental recovery mentors chimed in with comments about having to buy plastic spoons and hiding spoons etc. Hopefully a smile was generated.
Today I smile as I post and have a lot of spoons. There were the darker days of coffee stirring with a fork in our home too..things can get better. Hopefully your silverware drawer is a cluttered as ours!
peace and strength and thanks to my mentors who inspired this post!
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update Sept 1 2011 -
The good news we are still stirring our coffee with spoons today.
@parentofaddict
Categorised as: Journal Entries
Still scared to buy spoons, as if having spoons in my house may be a trigger for relapse or the absence of spoons will keep him from using. “Gee, can’t find any spoons, guess I can’t relapse today.” Reading everyone’s reaction to spoons made me laugh so hard, it brought tears to my eyes, and I am in the middle of Starbucks, with nearby coffee drinkers looking at me –perhaps wanting me to share “the joke”. Don’t think they will get it, though.
funny when we start to share ..how many families truly get “the jokes”
thank you for reading and sharing!
I found that the sight of a spoon triggered a response of fear in me. I was walking through the living room and my 2 year old grandson had put his spoon on the floor. When I saw it fear immediately ran through my body. It is funny now but I never thought I would have PTSD from the sight of spoons.
Sorry you are going through this Shay. Maybe a few more years and you can conquer your fear with God's help.
Thank you Susie. It has been a devestating journey. It is GOD, an amazing family and a whole network of wonderful women who get me through everyday!
I watch spoons and I have a profound fear of tin foil!
I have to Chuckle when I read this! The abuntance of spoons that now over flow in the drawer! Anyone wanna play a game of spoons?!?
I am so glad you all share your moments so I don’t feel the insanity all alone over my son’s issues.
Geri . You will learn one thing quickly..You are not alone..there are ( sadly ) thousands / millions of families affected by addiction in some way . What helped ( helps) me is to learn what worked for some folks and try to apply to my own recovery.
I hope you find some stuff here that helps. I try to pay it forward…hope you do the same when you are ready.
[...] remember when my son was actively using how quickly these items ( along w/ spoons ) would vanish from my [...]
[...] month or so ago I posted an entry about the abundance of spoons I know have in my home. ( The post is here [...]
I still have my box of plastic spoons. I bought new metal spoons, but would only put two out at a time so I could keep track of them. My kids knew that if a spoon was missing, I was tearing up the house looking for everything, and normally finding what I didn’t want to find. I’m happy to have a drawer full of spoons now. Funny how spoons can make you smile : )
We used plastic spoons for a little while. I refused to replace the silverware until my son moved out of the house.
we bought new spoons after my son moved to rehab/jail/rehab, etc. and have had a drawer full every since. Its hard to eat soup with a fork.
There was a time when I was forced to eat my morning yogurt with a fork. I’m happy to type that today I enjoy eating my daily Yoplait with a spoon!
Today is a good day!