Keystones & Touchstones: Holding It Together, Checking the Heart
Why we need both the structure and the soul-checks in daily recovery
After hearing the terms in my meditation group on Sunday, I’ve been thinking about two words that show up in spiritual and recovery circles a lot: keystone and touchstone. At first, they sound poetic or decorative—but the more I sit with them, the more I see them as survival tools. Essential tools.
Not optional. Not decorative. But daily.
Let’s look at them through the lens of recovery.
🔑 What’s a Keystone?
In architecture, a keystone is that center stone at the top of an arch. Pull it out and the whole thing collapses. In recovery, it’s the non-negotiables that hold our program together. These aren’t preferences. These are lifelines.
Recovery keystones might include:
Surrendering to a Higher Power
Abstinence (no flour, no sugar, no in-between meals, no binge foods)
Rigorous honesty
Prayer, quiet time, daily readings
Step work and sponsor direction
Keystones are the reason we’re still standing when everything else wants to fall apart.
🪨 What’s a Touchstone?
Historically, a touchstone was used to test the purity of gold. In recovery, it’s a small practice or object or phrase that helps us check whether we’re still walking in truth, or starting to drift back into denial, fear, or fantasy.
Recovery touchstones might look like:
A gratitude list
A favorite quote or prayer
A call to someone who knows your real story
That morning coffee-and-LMNT combo that signals “time to connect”
One solid breath before you open the fridge
Touchstones don’t hold the arch up. They keep you honest about whether you’re still living under it.
🔑 Keystones are the bold YES to your recovery.
🪨 Touchstones are the quiet how’s it going?
🤲 Together, they build and sustain a real program.
🔁 A Daily Practice
You could do this as a journaling prompt, an outreach share, or a moment in evening prayer:
What keystone held me up today? What touchstone helped me stay aligned?
It’s that simple. But it ain’t easy.
This program isn’t just a rebuild—it’s a daily check-up.
And some days, we’re holding up the arch.
Other days, we’re just clutching a little stone in our pocket, whispering:
“God, keep me honest.”
Today’s Work:
Identify your 1–2 keystones (e.g., abstinence, spiritual surrender).
Choose a touchstone to carry or return to throughout the day (quote, prayer, person).
Reflect tonight: What held you up? What brought you back?
#RecoveryTools #KeystoneAndTouchstone #DailyPractice #SurrenderAndScribbles #Abstinence #FARecovery #SpiritualCheckIn