When you find the love of your life, you want to do your best to work through any hardships and hold on to them.
But finding the right one takes time.
Many of us have had to kiss a few toads and learn from those past relationships to know what to look for in future partners in life.
And then there are those who realized what they were looking for were those who had been in their lives already.
Curious to hear about the love stories from strangers online, Redditor shnoozel_doozel asked:
"People who ended up with their first crush, what's your story?"
The feelings were mutual, but sometimes Cupid has to shoot his arrow to nudge things along.
Drunk Epiphany
"Trying to sum up a truly long story..."
"First grade, love at first sight. For me. Not her."
"She moved schools in 7th grade, I was devastated. Thought I'd never see her again, but it was a small city and I was not a smart boy."
"Mutual friends and interests saw us become good friends in high school. Good enough for her to bring me to her prom, but not enough to have a romantic date."
"Through college and after, we'd keep in touch and hang out during holidays back home, but life went on until my second college stint, dating another woman, I was hit with the need to tell her how I felt. Not to get together with her, but just to get it off my chest. She knew I liked her but not to what extent. She was having a bad time at school doing her doctorate in geology. For obvious reasons, my relationship with the other woman failed."
"Damn, this is getting long."
"That January, we got together to watch movies. I was nervous to tell her, so I kept pouring her wine. Turns out, she was nervous to tell me she had been having feelings for me for a year, so she kept drinking the wine. Her dad, laying on the floor watching the movies with us, was oblivious to everything."
"We're finally alone, she says something, I blurt out, 'WAIT, ARE YOU HITTING ON ME?' And we spend our first night as a couple with me holding her hair while she puked."
"Married in 2006, now have two amazing kids and she doesn't drink. ...as much."
– cjsphoto
The Object Of Her Affection
"We met in band when I was 10 years old and I was immediately both terrified of and obsessed with her and couldn't quite identify why- over the course of middle school, the fear kind of faded- I definitely had a crush, but was fairly confident she'd never see me that way and I decided I would just try to be her friend. I definitely made a fool of myself in front of her a few times, but I tried to stay subtle about having a thing for her. At the end of 8th grade, she mentioned offhand that she was interested in someone, and I pestered her about who it was until she finally told me that it was me. Once the complete and utter shock wore off, I asked if I could hold her hand. That was 10 years ago and I plan on asking her to marry me later this year."
If your crush is meant to be your partner in life, then there should be no rush in getting together, as these couples have experienced.
The Right Time
"Uk based story."
"School trip to Longleat, a pretty blond girl on the back seat of the coach caught my eye... but I was shy when I was 14. It was ok though, I'd caught her eye and her friend told me to sit next to her."
"We dated on and off through school. I always had a crush on her. Then she wasn't there any more. I now know that her dad had got a job in Hong Kong. The plan was for her to do Olevels and she'd been accepted into the RAF and the England Hockey summer camp, so she had things lined up. But her mum decided at Christmas that she wanted to be in Hong Kong too... and by new year 1985 had emigrated with her plans and exams ruined."
"When I was 17 I got a job at the local supermarket for spending money. I was behind the cheese counter. I saw her come in, I was mortified, in my white coat and plastic trilby, so I hid in the fridge."
"I assumed she was back in town... but I didn't see her again. I thought about her often, spoke about her to my best mate wondering where she'd gone"
"I went on to my normal life, had kids etc."
"She went on to an extreme life, she'd had to steal money to run away from Hong Kong to England, with just a Teddy bear - and as it turned out, no money to get from Heathrow to Liverpool because someone stitched her up bouncing a check. Luckily the CEO of British Caledonian had seen her on the airplane and was walking past when he realised she was in trouble. She was eyecatchingly beautiful.... he got a driver to take her to Liverpool."
"She went to art college, but a friend died of drugs and felt she might go the same way, so she left there.... but then lived a life of homelessness, suffered much violence, and a full on drug fueled party lifestyle. Although also some great highs - she counted pop stars and artists as friends, ate at top restaurants and stayed in top hotels."
"When I was 40, its 2008 now - freshly divorced, very broke and in a bad way mentally her name popped up on Facebook."
"We met up... she had also thought about me in time apart. We moved in together, and have been married for 8 years and are very very happy."
"I often wonder what would have happened if I hadn't hid in the fridge. I dwell on it sometimes. She has largely got over the worst parts of her early life and had successfully quit drugs in 2000 so I didn't see the party girl. But her scars remain and that saddens me when I think about it."
Guy With The Waist-Length Curls
"We met our first day of high school in 1996. I sat behind him in third period English. He had gorgeous thick waist-length black curls that my hands just itched to play with. We had a few mutual friends, hung out in the same group during lunch. Most of our classes were coincidentally next door to each other, so we ended up walking from class to class together every day. Those five-minute walks became the highlight of my life that year."
"Obviously I had the biggest crush on him. I was nowhere near confident enough to tell him in high school or, for that matter, during the following thirteen years as we navigated the awkward transition into adulthood. We drifted in and out of each other's lives like best friends do at that age, but we never lost that thread that connected us. After we graduated, we met at a local diner every few months, drank bad coffee and debated Kantian ethics late into the night. (We've never quite seen eye-to-eye on the Germans, still don't). He was my confidante, the only person I could share the deepest parts of my soul with. That intense schoolgirl crush faded over time into something that felt a little more like a bottomless pool of affection and respect."
"Fast forward to 2009. I was 27. I'd just ended a six-year relationship six weeks earlier. I was emotionally adrift that summer. I certainly wasn't ready to start dating again. I called to wish him a happy birthday; he said if I wasn't doing anything, I should swing by his parents' for a slice of cake and champagne. I drove across town to find most of his guy friends helping him move his things into his parents' garage. His fiancée had called off their four-year engagement on his birthday."
"Later that night, after everyone else had gone home, we laid on his parents' driveway staring up at the stars. I asked him why he just walked away without a fight when she gave him back the ring. He said: 'Because I won't risk losing my window again. This is the first time since high school you've been single for more than five minutes. I love you. I've always loved you. I'll buy you a ring tomorrow if you say yes.'"
"I said no."
"He asked if I'd go out on a date with him. I said no, I wasn't ready."
"Then he asked if we could go get coffee at the diner. I said yes."
"As we parted again at sunrise, he kissed my forehead and said, 'There's no expiration date on that proposal.' We started dating three weeks later, moved in together two months after that. Somewhere along the way, I realized 'bottomless pool of affection and respect' is the mature way of saying 'love of your life.' We got married on our fifth anniversary, barefoot in my parents' living room, in a thirty-second ceremony officiated by my father. August will be our 7th wedding anniversary and the 25th anniversary of the first walk we took together."
"And for the record, he still has waist-length curls and I get to play with them anytime I want now."
The progression of relationships like these come naturally without any pressure.
The Friendship
"We met in middle school. Became really good friends, dated for a week as you can date in middle school. We broke up and dated a few other people. Two weeks into high school I told him to come keep me warm at the high school football game. He's been doing it now for 30 years. Three kids together now. Love every day with him."
The "Dead Weight"
"She was the only gay girl in school. She had a beautiful bob with waves in it and the sweetest green eyes. She ended up in my bio class so I had an excuse to get her number. Thousands of texts later, she said she liked me outside English. I was floored but obviously said I did too because I would stare at her endlessly. After the best first date that closeted 14 year old me could muster up, we kissed. We started dating and I brought her home at 16. My parents were so excited and threw us a party because that's what happens when your parents are hippies.
She's amazing at soccer and got a scholarship. I followed her and we moved in together. I'm dead weight to her. I can't cook, she cleans, and she never gets angry. I have actually burned water before, am a horrible cleaner, and am frustrated 24/7. She never asks for anything and thanks me for the bare minimum. Every day, I want to improve for her because she's so amazing. Both 20 now and never been better. My first kiss and my last <3"
I know a few couples who were high school sweethearts, and they remain happily married to this day.
I find those relationships particularly endearing because they have known each other the longest and have been through many challenges in adulthood together.
But I don't frown upon those who had to spend time alone before finding the love of their life. Because no one should ever have to settle when it comes to sharing a life together.
People Share The Things They Learned Embarrassingly Late In Life
There is so much to learn in the world, it's impossible for one person to know absolutely everything there is to know.
But there are certain things, like common phrases and idioms, that everyone seems to use that might be a little embarrassing to not understand until later in life.
Redditor Curious-2577 asked:
"What's something you learned 'embarrassingly late' in life?"
Addictive Personality
"My sister was in her fifties when she found out the meaning of, 'You have an addictive personality.'"
"She thought after all these years of therapy that it meant that people were addicted to her personality."
"We laughed hysterically when we talked about this (in a very sad way)."
- casper02127
Horse Toes
"I thought that horses had toes until I was 22. I thought the hoof was a 'horseshoe' and the toes were tucked inside."
"How did I learn how wrong I was, you ask?"
"I was walking past a cavalry museum and saw a horse statue and loudly remarked, 'It must hurt so bad when they fold a horse’s toes to put them into the shoe!'"
"Dozens of horse enthusiasts turned and looked at me with wild bewilderment in their eyes."
- BronNatsPulisic
Referencing Flowers
"The saying is, in fact, 'Nip it in the bud' and not 'Nip it in the butt.'"
- too_sharp
Pastures New
"A few months ago, two of my colleagues both handed in their notice at around the same time."
"I kept reading/hearing the sentence, 'They’re both moving on to pastures new’ being thrown about the office in the weeks leading up to them leaving, and I hadn’t heard this phrase before and thought that was the name of the rival company that they were going to, like, 'Pastures New.'"
"I thought it was weird that nobody was talking about how they were both leaving for the same company."
"I was in the car with one of the two people who were leaving and said, 'So where is it that you and X are going to be working? Is it...’"
"And just before I could embarrass myself and say ‘Pastures New,' they interrupted me and said they’re not going to the same place and asked me where I had heard that."
"I think at that moment, I realized I was stupid and didn’t mention it again."
- WorriedSoft
Mario Brothers
"I think I was in college when I realized that Mario and Luigi are plumbers. I thought they just went and up down these tubes just because that was the theme of the game."
- dontbemystalker
Bonsai Trees
"That Bonsai are not a species of tree, but a way to grow them. Any tree can be a bonsai."
- ixent
Houston, We Have a Problem
"Houston is not the name of the guy astronauts talk to."
- vienna_versailles
Cowboy Beans
"I learned that pork and beans are not called 'cowboy beans.' I was 18 and asked a grocery store clerk to help me find the 'cowboy beans.'"
"We were looking everywhere and I was getting frustrated because I know that every store carries these beans. After a while, I picked up a pork and beans can with a picture and said, 'See, they look just like this!'"
"He said, 'You mean pork and beans?'"
"Then I realized that my mom called them that so that I would eat them."
"The look of disappointment from that grocery store clerk haunts me to this day."
- whyunoletmepost
The Pulitzer
"Let me tell you about how I thought you were awarded a 'Pullet Surprise.'"
- BendyBrains
Rum and Coke
"Not too late in life, but I thought my parents were making 'Roman Cokes' until I went to college."
"Which, I think is a much better name for the drink (Rum and Coke) anyway."
- Th3seViolentDelights
Oh No, Not Acoma!
"That a coma was 'A' coma. Until I was probably 19 or so, I thought it was 'acoma.'"
"I thought you fell into acoma."
- FightWithBrickWalls
It Must Have Been a One-Way Trip
"My parents were divorced the whole time and my mom was not, in fact, taking a vacation, lmao (laughing my a** off)."
- artemus_who
Multitasking
"I live near the Hospital for Joint Diseases… when I was a kid, I thought was a special hospital for people who had two or more different diseases at the same time."
- Baffhy_Duck
Ore-Ida Fries
"Moving cross-country, driving east to west, and crossing from Idaho to Oregon, I noticed huge fields with signs for the Ore-Ida Potato company."
"So I was in my early 20s when I figured out Ore-Ida wasn’t just a brand name but was because their potatoes came from Oregon and Idaho."
- Deadhawk142
Kid Logic
"When I was really young, my sister told me she threw her guts up. So I was really afraid of vomiting my entire insides up for years."
- Presitigious_Sweet_50
Some of these really had us laughing as we realized the revelations some of these Redditors were having.
But when we're really honest with ourselves, we probably didn't figure out some of these until later, too.
People Break Down The Absolute Worst Parts About Having A Child
While starting a family and having children is a goal that many people have, some do not realize that it's not easy, fun, and loving one-hundred percent of the time. Rather, it's expensive, exhausting, and hard, though it might be worth it in the end.
With this in mind, people shared what they felt were the hardest hurdles of their parenting.
Redditor ApprehensiveShock655 asked:
"What's the worst part of having a child?"
Fear of Not Doing Enough
"The constant anxiety that you’re doing enough to shape them to make good choices, a good life, be a good person and for them to have the life they deserve."
- nakedreturnsthe1st
Like the Energizer Bunny
"It's incessant. It never stops. You never get a day off."
"Going from having two days per week to relax and do whatever to literally never having a moment free from responsibility."
- mrbuh
No Break In Sight
"I’ve always wanted kids and still do, but this is the only thing that has come close to giving me pause."
"Both my siblings have young kids and I cannot get over how CONSTANT it is."
"From the second the kids wake up to when they finally shut their eyes, it’s non-stop. Then they get maybe an hour or two to themselves, which is mostly spent tidying up, etc., before the nighttime stuff starts with the baby crying, the toddler coming into bed, nightmares, etc."
"It requires years of not getting a full night's rest. You can never just go out whenever you want. No sleeping in, even on weekends because someone has to be up with them at 6 AM."
"Raising human children is an insane task."
- GirlisNo1
Mom's Body After Baby and Dad Bods
"The weight gain is the worst! During the pregnancy, I gained 35 pounds. My belly has stretch marks. My boobs are all saggy."
"And it’s not even fair because my wife only gained like 15."
- Wise-Reaction-7526
The Meal Planning
"Coming up with three meals to eat per day EVERY DAY stresses me out so bad."
"This sounds like such a small thing, but it really wears on you over time. You can’t just make something for yourself or something you and your spouse feel like eating: You have to constantly be thinking about if the kid is hungry and what they might be willing to eat."
- Ravenclaw79
Keeping Them Safe
"When people ask me this I say, 'do you know those video games where you have to escort a character to a destination without them being attacked?' That's parenting. Those missions are a pain in the a**."
- Infiniski_Gaming
Seriously, Keep Them Safe
"Having to deal with their total lack of self-preservation. They are creative and come up with all kinds of ways to try and kill themselves. Keeping ahead of the game is exhausting."
- Quizzical_Chimp
Constant Contact
"They’re just always there. On you, behind you, in front of you, just a little speed bump impeding every task."
- Tangboy500000
Letting Them Live Their Life Their Way
"Having a kid is like having a little piece of your heart running around in the world. When they're sick or get disappointed or just feel sad, it's worse than having it happen to you."
"Yet at the same time, you need to let your kids work through those things to learn to handle them. If you give into the worry and try to shield them from everything, you risk creating harmful co-dependence."
"So it's a constant struggle. But worth it!"
- um_chili
What Is "Sleep" Again?
"I'm only nine years in, but so far, it's been the sleep deprivation. Hands down."
- tessiegamgee
And What Are These "Sick Days" You Speak Of?
"Having to take care of a sick child when you are also sick. For me that has been the most challenging part so far."
- MrsLouisaMercury
Another Full-Time Job
"It's like taking a second job that lasts 18+ years with a 24/7 schedule with no holidays or sick days."
"…And no second paycheck. It's actually like YOU are paying your second salary instead of getting one."
- mouse_rat
Personal Freedom
"The loss of freedom. I can't just... go somewhere. Even with older kids, there's so much planning and thinking and getting ready."
"I miss being able to just decide to go somewhere, and go there."
- poetris
The Time Flies
"The best advice I got was from an ancient hospital security guard in an elevator. 'The days are long, the years are short, cherish them while you can.'"
- WayOfTheHouseHusband
So Unexpected
"The phrase I hate is, 'You don't know it, but one day you pick your kid up for the last time.'"
- 3_pac
There are all kinds of troubles that come from being a parent, many of which people don't necessarily think about until they already have a baby in the house.
But reassuringly, many people in the subReddit pointed out that no matter how hard some of these hurdles are to get over, it's still worth it in the end, and it goes by far too fast.
Married People Explain How They Tactfully Initiate Sex With Their Partner
Positive emotions are high among people in the blossoming phase of relationships.
Everything seems more romanticized for people in love due to the amorous joy in their hearts–which also influences their desire to frequently get it on under the sheets–or any other daring location in the heat of the moment.
But for those who've declared "'til death do us part," devoted couples may find that they are not always on the same wavelength sexually compared to when they first met.
Curious to hear how people keep their passion alive, Redditor Rude_Phone6841 asked:
"Married people, how do you initiate sex with your partner?"
When verbally articulating isn't enough...
Let The Book Dictate When
"There is a book called 'How to Subtly Tell Your Partner You Want More Sex.' If you sleep on the right side of the bed, you can casually open it up and your spouse will see the giant printed title on the front. Sometimes, I’ll just get the book out and leave it on his side of the bed. Once he was messing with me and acting like he was oblivious to my not-so-subtle hints, so I threw the book at him. The book is effective and hilarious."
"ETA: Sadly, we haven’t found the book since we moved. Fortunately, we’ve started communicating with our words instead. Words are just as effective."
– Flaky_Finding_3902
Save The Date
"I send her an outlook calendar event and if she accepts, IT'S ON."
– Dawn_Piano
The Signal
"You know when I’m down to my socks it’s time for business."
– SEA___BEAR
These couples find that verbal cues are best.
Now's The Time
"Honestly when we have the time one of us usually bluntly says 'let's go have sex right f'king now before we can't' and we go do it. Lol"
– brie1305
Option A Or B
"I have a 2 month old and a 2 year old. Some of the best sex we had was because I said 'after 2 year old goes down and if 2month decides to sleep do you want to meet in the basement' well she decided to sleep and damn that was good."
– Ahkmedjubar
End Of Day Reward
"We just ask each other tbh. We’ll bring it up earlier in the day so we build up the anticipation with each other throughout the day, flirt with each other, gas each other up. All that. Then when it’s finally time at the end of the day, we usually fall asleep cause we’re so tired."
"But the cycle continues the next day!"
– supermariobruhh
People continued offering their wisdom.
Afternoon Hanky Panky
"The trick is to initiate sex during the day. We are both too tired at the end. Plus hanging out all day after is somehow more rewarding."
"Same goes for dates. Have sex at the beginning the date, then go enjoy your time together without any pressure."
– drneeley
Kids In The Equation
"This literally happened today with my wife and me. We have two toddlers so we’re extra exhausted. Earlier today we had the sexy initiation of 'hey, we both showered today, want to have sex after the babies are asleep?' 'Sure.'"
"Then when the kids were asleep, and my wife and I were getting settled into bed, she asked if I still wanted to. I said if she wants to I’m down, but I’m pretty tired and would be fine without it. She said she was also tired and could do without it. So we kissed each other good night and she went to sleep. I’m just winding down on Reddit for a few minutes before I also fall asleep."
"I know this is boring. I didn’t write this to tell an exciting story. Just to share what married life is like for me and probably the large majority of married couples, especially parents of young kids."
– MolotovCollective
Shadow Puppet Technique
"Use my phones torch to shine a shadow of my member up against the bedroom wall."
"Kinda like a bat signal of sorts."
– SchoonerOclock
Mood Lighting
"Turn off the lights and switch on the red lamp beside the bed."
– SuvenPan
Reliable Visual
"Walk by him while taking my top off. He follows me wherever I go and it's been 30 years and counting."
– LisaBooHigh
Every couple is different, and usually establishing a strong communication bond makes everything else in the relationship–including sexy time–falls in line effortlessly.
I knew a couple who made a game out of foreplay and agreed that whoever got home first from getting off work at the same time got to choose the sexual position that night.
They may no longer be together, but I remember them recalling how that technique was fun for them at the beginning stage and it took the pressure off of establishing when they were going to have sex.
Don't take get too anxious about it. It's just sex, and it's fun.
There are a number of things people partake in spite of the known possible ramifications they have on their health and safety.
Up to and including smoking, bungee-jumping, recreational drug use, or simply bike riding without a helmet.
Indeed, even though they know that doing any or all of these things could possibly lead to their death, they do it anyway.
Sadly, even though many people go out of their way to avoid doing these things for that very reason, that still doesn't mean they keep themselves completely out of danger.
Sadly, there are a surprisingly large number of things that lead to an even more surprising number of deaths each year.
Frighteningly, these are things that the majority of the world's population does on an almost daily basis.
"What causes death more than people realize?"
When In Doubt, Call Your Doctor!
"Untreated infections."
"Your body will become septic, in which it essentially kills itself trying to kill off whatever infection one has."- cacarrizales
"Infections that are left untreated."- raptor-99
Tread Carefully. Seriously.
"Tripping."
"On average around 17k people a year in the US die from injuries incurred after tripping and falling."- EdithWhartonsFarts
When In Doubt, Don't Drive.
"Driving while sleepy."- latchkey_adult
The Handrail Is There For A Reason.
"Stairs."
"20 million severe injuries each year and at least 200,000 death from consequences of the fall."
"Both my grandparents died because of a fall."- OnTheGoodSideofLife
They Happen To The Best Of Us
"Fall accidents."
"Especially among the elderly, a fall can create a cascade of events that results in death, even if it seems minor at first."-AdmiralBofa
Never Rush Chewing
"Mozzarella sticks."
"Statistically the most choked on food."- SpecSanders
Never Skip A Check-Up
"High Blood Pressure."
"It sneaks up on you and you don't know about it or don't care but it's the underlying cause of so many deaths."- Fear51
Never Underestimate The Importance Of Self Care
"Stress."
"Your body can only handle so much of it and it’s labeled the 'silent killer' for that reason."
"With your high blood pressure and the 5 hours of sleep a night because of the stress, It will creep up on you sooner than you think."- DroppedDonut
Don't Forget To Floss!
"Untreated dental problems."
"A cavity left untreated can lead to heart attacks and strokes."- Lastalmark
Flu Season
"Influenza."
"Just regular old flu."
"Many people ignore it thinking it'll go away on its own."
"Globally the number per year is usually between 300k and 500k."
"In the US it can be anywhere from 12k to 50k per year."- PhreedomPhighter
Don't Feel Ashamed If You Need A Break
"Shoveling snow."
"I have two family friends pass from heart attacks associated to shoveling the snow."- JD054
There Are People Who Will Help You
"Alcoholism causing liver failure and it's on the rise in the USA."- Interesting_Drop8236
"Peruse your County ME’s records."
"The amount of people who die from alcohol is astounding."- hockenduke
Sometimes, It's Just Best To Mind Your Own Business
"Street fights."
"You watch some Hollywood blockbusters and some MMA fights and you think you can do it too."
"I've seen stories of a guy minding his own business and gets rocked on the side of his head. It disconnected his spine and he was dead before he hit the ground."
"There was another story maybe a year ago of a scuffle where a guy was stabbed in the neck and bled out to the point of being unable to stand within 10 seconds."
"Stop f*cking around, it's not worth your life."- Choiceofart
We never know when our number is up or how we'll end our days.
However, with a little bit of care and good judgment, we can at least likely avoid falling victim to all of the above.