S-T-Ruggling

by Hayne Steen, LMHC

One of my wife's favorite guilty pleasures is receiving a "word of the day" email from the Urban Dictionary. 

On many mornings since she first discovered it, I will wake up to her giggling next to me. Her all time favorite word is "S-T-Ruggling." (Pronounced Ess-Tee-Ruggling)

Here's an example of how it can be used. "Did hear about Tom's broken arm? He is S-T-ruggling!"

Another friend likes to make ironic comments when things are going amazing in his life. He'll say, "the struggle is real, man. The struggle is real!"

Humor is just one of the many ways we attempt to cover up real pain. Numbing is another. So is avoidance.  

We all grew up hearing things like, "no pain, no gain." 

One popular 80's jingle for a commercial pain reliever covered Carly Simon's famous, "I haven't got time for the pain." The original song hit #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and #2 on Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. 

Midway through the original song, we hear Carly sing these words...

​Suffering was the only thing that made me feel I was alive
Though that's just how much it cost to survive in this world
'til you showed me how, how to fill my heart with love

There is a reason a song about struggle can rises to the top of the charts. We all struggle. We all experience pain. We all suffer. 

We do not have to struggle alone. That's why Elbow Tree exists. We want to meet you in your particular situation and serve as a traveling companion as you face those areas in your life or your family's life where you are S-T-Ruggling. 

Do you have a struggling learner in your home?

For young people, the pain of "not getting it" academically can leave them carrying loads of unnecessary toxic shame. We are launching GRASSROOTS EDUCATION to serve as a support structure for your children as they face inevitable challenges in their education journey. 

​Let's partner together! 

If you'd like to set up a 10-15 minute free consultation with Brittany Steen, Ed.S feel free to email her at brittany@elbowtreecooperative.com or call (904) 559-1944 to leave a general message for her.