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Steph Ruff
Bio
Achievements (1)
Stories (41/0)
Being the "Dad Friend"
I am what is considered a "dad friend," a title I take extremely seriously. Calling someone a "dad friend" seems like something benign, of no actual consequence to anyone's life, but it's not as simple as it sounds. Being the "dad friend" doesn't mean just being parental and laid back, or just the opposite of the constantly prepared and worried "mom friend." Being a "dad friend" requires encompassing all the components of being a dad without actually being one.
By Steph Ruff2 years ago in Families
Dreaming of Dragons
There weren’t always dragons in the Valley. That’s what everybody says anyway, but I always remember there being dragons. They would roam in the darkness, their teeth protruding from their mouths, too long to fit inside, and their eyes soulless. Nothing but black pupils, dark and unblinking. Nera is constantly chittering in my ear about how amazing the dragons are, with their venomous glands, talons stronger than diamonds, wings razor sharp and all that. I don’t really get what she sees in them, I mean, they are horrifying and weird which technically makes them very amazing but they are also the main reason I haven’t slept in three days and am not paying attention.
By Steph Ruff2 years ago in Fiction
Dear Mom, . Runner-Up in Mother's Day Confessions Challenge.
Dear Mom, This letter is probably way overdue but its hard to tell you all the things I want to without being scared of what you will say. The depression was hard, and I know you blame yourself for it, but we talked and I confided and you accepted that part of me; the dark parts full of depravity and loss and hatred. I know you feel it too, even if you pretend that you don't, I see it in the little comments you make, the gestures that are slow and uncoordinated, your gaze blank with the screams of millions of pieces of yourself shattering every time I, someone, screamed "I hate you!"
By Steph Ruff2 years ago in Confessions
White in the Snow
The first glare of sun in my eyes is always an unpleasant surprise. The darkness and silence of sleep is disrupted by the blaring red of light penetrating my eyelids. Turning over does little to prevent me from seeing it and with a groan of frustration I give in to the light, turning to face it. There is almost a challenge as I squint into the sun, how badly do I want to give in and just be awake? A pain crawls up my neck, my shoulder popping as I lift myself from the warmth of the bed. A twist and a pop releases my other arm and I finally push myself up into a sitting position. I’ve lost the battle with the sun, but this time the realization of the early morning is met with a pleasant surprise.
By Steph Ruff2 years ago in Confessions
Like a Fish in Water
I awake to a different sight than I did yesterday. There are flowers. And clouds made of elephants, all different colors, pushing at me to move, crawl, begging for me to keep going as far away from them as possible. Paisley, polka dot, cross hatched, rippling waves that won’t stop wiggling. I sway with their movement legs curled under me; the floor is squishy, my eyes half lidded and head bobbing like a pigeon to the beat of their pleas. The clouds can go through the walls. I uncurl and push my hand against an elephant, purple with black spots, only to fall as I push against nothing. The entities remaining converge from the clouds, screaming.
By Steph Ruff2 years ago in Fiction
How to Prioritize Rest
It has been a long couple of years. Days turned into weeks that felt like months and now here we are at the end of two years, and it's all about to start again. With people dying, COVID spreading, and the world officially coming to an end, the one thing everyone needs with the coming new year is some rest. As a self-imposed busy body, rest is the one thing that I often don't prioritize; between work, school, projects, and keeping myself mentally sane, rest and sleep become the last thing on my mind. However, it shouldn't be this way to here is a handy dandy list of how I plan to get some rest in the coming new year and hopefully continue living through this pandemic.
By Steph Ruff3 years ago in Lifehack
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