I read the story of the metaphor as spoons for energy/skill – we start the day with so many spoons (say 12) and each task throughout the day takes one spoon. For perfectly healthy people, they can end the day with leftover spoons. But for those of us with chronic pain and limited abilities, we need one spoon for getting dressed, another spoon for making breakfast, another spoon for doing chores, another spoon for shopping, you get the idea. Sometimes I run out of spoons two hours before bed, so my day is over. I want a spoon necklace to help me believe that I always have at least one spoon left.