It’s funny how a small object like a spoon can teach you something about life. I have not been paying attention in the past years, but I sat down one day to study the life of a spoon and then I realized that a spoon has so many qualities that makes it a spoon and if I can gather these qualities to live my life,of course I would be doing myself good.
A spoon is one of the simplest things we use every day, yet it carries a kind of wisdom that we often overlook. Today, while holding a spoon, I found myself thinking about how much it portrays the way life works, and how it can guide us in our own journey.
The first thing a spoon teaches is patience. A spoon never rushes. When you scoop a portion of food, it stays patiently and watch you take it little by little until you are done. You don’t grab everything at once and swallow immediately, do you?.
It reminds me that life is not meant to be lived in one giant step. We grow in small portions and learn in small moments. We heal slowly, we also achieve things bit by bit, and that’s okay. A spoon teaches us that steady progress is still progress as long as you never quit.
Another lesson a spoon shows is gentle service. A spoon works quietly, it doesn’t brag nor show off, it doesn’t shout, it doesn’t ask for attention. It simply does what it was made to do; help. When you look at life sometimes, the most meaningful people and moments are the quiet ones. The ones who support you 100% without uploading it on their status. The ones who show up when no one is clapping. I learned the value of quiet strength, humble support, and silent kindness from a spoon.
A spoon also teaches balance. Imagine overloading a spoon while you eat, what happens? It spill. If you rush while eating with a spoon, you make a mess. The same goes for life, when when we carry the worlds load; battles, responsibilities, we spill or break down emotionally. A spoon reminds us that balance is not a luxury, it is a necessity. You take what you can handle, and allow the rest. Like my people will always say, “Problem no dey finish!”
Then a spoon has this curved shape and open that shows that it is ready to receive. Sometimes in life, we are too focused on giving, helping, carrying others, that we forget we also need to be open to receive, to love, to help, to rest, to support. A spoon cannot serve unless it first receives something into its open space. In the same way, we cannot pour into others if we are empty. We must let ourselves be held sometimes.