Honest People Open Up About The Greatest Loss They've Overcome In Their Lives
Honest People Open Up About The Greatest Loss They've Overcome In Their Lives
[rebelmouse-image 18345887 is_animated_gif=Going through loss is a hill we all have to climb. No one wants to, and some handle it better than others, but just like death, taxes, and a crazed Trump tweet, loss in some form is an inevitability. Somehow, though, knowing that others have gone through the exact same tragedy as you can make it all easier. So, Reddit user, r/adinarose000, set out to find those people when they asked:
Whats Your Biggest Loss in Life?
Splash Damage
[rebelmouse-image 18351021 is_animated_gif=My marriage, I guess. Not so much the falling apart of the marriage - it was inevitable, but the fallout of it. Loss of friends, loss of stability and comfort. I was not prepared for the fallout from ending a very serious, long-term relationship and I definitely was not prepared for how long the feeling of loss/failure would last.
Loss Of Chosen Family
[rebelmouse-image 18351022 is_animated_gif=My best friend died when he was 18, that was 20 years ago. I still think about him. He was a huge part of my life. My wife and I even named our youngest son after him.
Aware Of The Loss
[rebelmouse-image 18351023 is_animated_gif=My mental health. I took too many drugs and went off the deep end.
Psychosis, hallucinations, anxiety.
I'm playing insanity bingo.
A Loss, And A Gain
[rebelmouse-image 18351024 is_animated_gif=My pancreas.
At age 15 my first week if high school it failed and I was taken to the emergency room and diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
Losing The Right
[rebelmouse-image 18351025 is_animated_gif=Optic nerve damage after a seizure, so my full field of vision on my right side
Laughing At The Past
[rebelmouse-image 18351026 is_animated_gif=My mom. She's been gone 10 years yesterday.
When I asked my mom one day why she never had another kid she told me, "I didn't think it'd be fair because I knew I could ever love another child as much as I love you."
As I sit here sobbing my eyes out because I know I will never feel that kind of love again, I started to laugh because I remember her saying right before she died, "Play REALLY sad songs at my funeral because I want every person in there crying their eyes out over me. Not a dry eye in the house, Jenn."
Every year on this day I seem to get a wonderful gift from her and I got my gift already today and I couldn't be happier.
There will never be a cooler, funnier, loving mother than mine and I'm so lucky I had her for 36 years.
A Kitty Like No Other
[rebelmouse-image 18351027 is_animated_gif=My cat. But I think the worst part is that I'm over the loss and have been for quite some time since getting a new cat. Still I do remember the pain of losing it.
So while I'm now more prepared in life for eventually losing someone close to me but I also know that this time I won't be able to replace them.
Loss Of Status
[rebelmouse-image 18351028 is_animated_gif=I've been a writer for about five years now, and I've been doing pretty well at it. I've never really had a major flop on a long release, but earlier this month I launched a novel under a new pen name, and it bombed.
On the one hand, I know rationally that these things happen and it was probably a problem with the blurb and the cover; the reviews were solid, and people who read it seemed to enjoy it. On the other, I watched 90,000 words and months of work effectively go down the toilet, and that wasn't fun. I know it's not on the same level as a lot of people's losses, but it was that moment of fear that my childhood dream of being a novelist was just dying in front of me, and that all my future books would go the same way (even though my past books have done OK). It was like a mother bird throwing her baby out of the nest and watching it crash onto the pavement below.
There's 'loss' as in 'absence', but this was definitely 'loss' as in 'as far from a win as you can get'.
The "Missing" Never Goes Away
[rebelmouse-image 18349781 is_animated_gif=My best friend drowned himself 9 years ago. I don't think I'll ever stop missing him...
Confidence Sundered
[rebelmouse-image 18351029 is_animated_gif=My lack of confidence. Couldn't ask a girl out even at gunpoint.
Have you always lacked confidence and feel like you're missing out on things because you don't go for it or is it something that has evolved over time?
No, I think started losing confidence around starting highschool. I had a lot of toxic "friends", that would put me down whenever I tried to stand out, ask someone out, tried to better my life etc. I cut my friendships with them after HS, but the problem was, they were the only friends I had. Whenever I had a chance to "go for" something, I just didn't take the chance, ever. Got very anti-social, if I wasn't working, I was just sitting home. This snowballed and became the norm, I would feel better to sit at home rather than go to a social event. I have trained myself to never take risks and never to go for anything I wan't, besides the basics like food, shelter, a job to keep myself afloat etc. I'm 26 now, and the longer I go like this, the deeper I will sink in this limbo.
Lost Loves
[rebelmouse-image 18351030 is_animated_gif=My first girl friend. Never should have lost her.
Gone Before Its Begun
[rebelmouse-image 18351031 is_animated_gif=My engagement.
Siblings Gone
[rebelmouse-image 18351032 is_animated_gif=Lost my brother when we were teenagers. We shared rooms til I was 17 and he was 16. We moved frequently when we were young so we had each other when we didn't have any friends at all. It's been 8 years, but I still mourn him. I often think of all the milestones we never got to share together.
When The Last Person Who Gets You
[rebelmouse-image 18351033 is_animated_gif=My folks. Yes, for the entire history of history, people have buried their parents. It's still a deeply lonely and soul changing experience. Now my sister is ill, and I've realized she's the last person who remembers me as a child.
That's a very lonely feeling.
They Keep Stacking Up
[rebelmouse-image 18351034 is_animated_gif=The biggest losses I've gone through are: my grandpa who was my male role model and who died when I was 10, my dog who kept me alive through my nightmarishly difficult teens, who had to be put down when I was about 26, and my closest friend who I'd been living with for several years, after I had a period of being suicidal to the point of acting on it in my mid 20s.
Burying A Parent
[rebelmouse-image 18345173 is_animated_gif=My mom when I was 18, she was all I had and I'm pretty much an orphan now.
When The Only Person Left...
[rebelmouse-image 18351036 is_animated_gif=My best friend I lived next door to her for 6 years.
Nobody has touched my life and been there for me like she has. It's been close to two years since she passed. I still cry ???? when I think about her.
When What You Choose Isn't What You Want
[rebelmouse-image 18351037 is_animated_gif=My beauty.
I thought i had a big nose and had plastic surgery, but the operation was incredibly botched and I am visibly deformed now.
I miss my symmetry. I cut off my nose to spite my face.
Just Take The World 8 Wormhole
[rebelmouse-image 18351038 is_animated_gif=i never beat super mario bros
A Gain, And A Loss
[rebelmouse-image 18351039 is_animated_gif=My penis
what how it possible you lost your penis ? Strange
I'm a trans woman.
A Horrifying Thought, "So Far..."
[rebelmouse-image 18351040 is_animated_gif=So far, my dad.
H/T: Reddit
The word gay, which was often used to describe moments that were joyous or lighthearted and carefree, has evolved considerably.
In modern usage, the word "gay" colloquially refers to homosexual men, but it can also be used in a demeaning way typically drawn from LGBTQ stereotypes of men behaving or appearing in a flamboyant manner.
Curious to hear how strangers online experienced how the word was used, Redditor Infrared-masochism asked:
"What’s the weirdest thing you’ve been told not to do because it’s 'Gay?'"
Interests in certain hobbies are apparently a dead giveaway of queerness.
Oh, Snap!
"I took up photography a few years back and my friends asked me to photograph their wedding. I did it and even made them a slideshow with nice music because I wanted to try it out. I showed it to them and my buddy said it was gay. He called his own wedding photos gay."
– livinalieontimna
Repeat Offender
"A few things I've been called gay for doing:
- Reading
- Using an umbrella
- Wearing a sweater
- Not knowing how to play any songs by Stevie Ray Vaughn on the guitar at age 15
- Yawning
- 'Wearing a shirt with another man's name on it' (it was a hockey jersey with a player's name on it and I was 12)
Just to name a few off the top of my head!"
– PoisonLenny37
Way With Words
"The funny (not funny) thing too was it was when I was in grade 4 and it was the student teacher who said it. We did an annual trip to a water park in June every year before the end of the school year. I had a broken arm that year so on the way out to the bus I ran back to the room and grabbed a book and as I was walking out he was like 'a book? You're gonna spend the day READING?' and I was like 'well, broken arm, ya know?' And he was like 'pretty gay, dude, pretty gay!'"
– PoisonLenny37
With A Dreamy Far Off Look...
"I didn't know my Dad was your teacher, holy sh*t. Well at least you got it lucky, as someone who still carries around a book with him to this very day, Dad used to call me a gay for reading just about everywhere all the time. 'you're so busy with your face in a book all the time. I'm so disappointed in you, Son. I brought extra condoms down with me because I thought you'd be a chip off the old block taking virginity." - My Dad on the common area at the hotel we were staying at on vacation when I was 13 years old."
– byehavefun
Kitchen Kween
"Cooking. Umm, I have to feed myself and I’d prefer fresh, nutritious meals that don’t require unhealthy takeaway and cost a fortune."
– bruh_wut69
Observing these normal types of behavior had skeptics convinced of their suspicions.
Squeaky Clean
"My Dad used to tell my brothers not to wash thier hair so much.or they would 'turn gay'."
– ineedatinylama
"Real men can fry a steak with the grease in their hair 👌"
– LionToTheSlaughter99
Cat Gender
"I was taken aside by my deeply concerned and shocked friend and was told 'you know that’s a MALE cat you’re stroking?' I was astonished."
– jim_jiminy
The Stigma Of Kindness
"Being kind to others."
"Excuse me, wasn't aware that I had to burp and fart right in your face to state that I'm a straight guy."
– Lumbertech
"I've heard this one many times. Apparently basic human decency is in such short supply these days that the idea that it could come from a straight person is inconceivable."
– thequietthingsthat
Ear Candy
"Literally just happened about 5 minutes ago. Listening to music at work, Cindy Lauper's 'Time After Time' came on. Co-worker walked by and informed me how gay I looked sitting at my desk listening to that song."
– Bypolur
There is a straight way and a gay way to examine your body parts.
Not-So-Cute Cuticle Check
"Apparently I passed a straight guy test (back in the 90s) when I looked at my nails palm up with my fingers curled in vs palm down with my fingers out straight."
– Humble_Nobody2884
"Had a friend who said he had weird bumps coming up on his skin so i suggested he go to the dermatologist. He said only women do that. Alright man, good luck…"
– mrboondoggle
In elementary school, a couple of my classmates asked me to check my shoe because I stepped on gum.
I bent my right leg behind me and looked over my shoulder to inspect the sole of my shoe, which turned out to be devoid of any of the suspected gooey substance.
The two yahoos howled hysterically and said the way I checked my shoe was soooo gay, and that therefore, I must be."
Apparently, straight dudes would inspect the bottom of the shoe by lifting their feet up in front of them and inverting their ankles upward.
Gee... how did they know?
It can be shocking, almost repulsive, to look through history books and read the things which were actually laws at one point in time.
These include bizarre ones, like a national speed limit of 55 miles per hour due to an oil shortage, as well as historically inhumane laws, such as segregation and slavery.
Thankfully, many of these horrifying and/or bizarre laws have been repealed.
But if one were to look closely at laws around the world, there are still a number of ludicrous and terrifying laws which remain in effect.
That many people might even, rather ironically, think should be illegal.
"If you could remove a law, which one would get the boot?"
They're Always Watching
"Digital security act (2018)."
"It's a law by the government of Bangladesh, which can let anyone file a case against you, if you speak against the government online."
"There are multiple cases where someone criticized the government, and they have been put in prison because of this law."
"It basically hurts the freedom of speech of Bangladeshi citizens."
"Even though there have been voices raised to demolish this law, the autocratic government doesn't care at all."- ArianThehunter
The US Government, In A Nutshell...
"The ones that allowed politicians to accept funds from corporations."- No_Commercial5671
Lobbying For The People GIF by Creative CourageGiphyDrugs Is Too Broad A Term
"Psilocybin, LSD, and marijuana being considered Schedule 1 drugs (at least in the US)."
"Wild to me that drugs like Xanax, Oxy, some other strong prescription drugs, cocaine, and f*cking meth are all considered 'less dangerous' than drugs that have a much lower death toll and have been shown to be more beneficial in various different treatments and trials."- localstreetcat
Some Of The Most Annoying Laws Aren't Even Enforced...
"Murphys law."- Zert420
No One, NO ONE, Should Be Above The Law
"Any law about immunity for politicians."- iOliverSup
Richard Nixon Corruption GIF by GIPHY NewsGiphyAren't Politicians Supposed To Be Working For Us?
"The one that allows politicians to raise their own salary as long as at least 51% of them vote in favor."
"A few years ago they increased minimum wage by 3.5% then proceeded to increase their own salary by 40% and add 2 new benefits."- vksdann
So, Pretty Much All Laws Benefitting Politicians
"The one that protects individual politicians against the effects of what they did in office."- Silent-Revolution105
Which Citizens, And How Exactly Are They "United"?
"Citizens United."- Lilysils
Amy Klobuchar GIFGiphyMore Like Profiling Act
"Patriot Act."
"And whatever laws that allow for government surveillance besides Patriot Act."
"My dank memes on Reddit and search history is none of the business of the FBI who think using the word 'based' is grounds for a terrorist investigation."- Realtor_3605
"All the anti-terrorist laws that took our privacy's without anyone giving sh*t."- Brilliant_Salad_1345
Not Exactly "Small Government" If You Think About It?
"Where the government can take your stuff."- rtxpurelife2
Robin Hood Disney GIFGiphyBring On The Public Domain
"Every copyright extension from the original (around 20 years)."- reyseven
Um... Do You Really Need Either?
"I would say the meaningless illegality of stuff like nunchucks, balisongs, etc.:
:Why can I buy a military knife made for killing people but I can't buy a knife which uses springs to open?"- racistinfrastrukture·
Clearly Not From A "Stand Your Ground" State...
"The one where you're not allowed to defend yourself if someone breaks into your home with the intent of stealing from you (in my country)."- lycos94
It doesn't take very long at all for certain laws to become outdated.
Making it all the more infuriating that these laws remain in effect.
Particularly when they likely shouldn't even have been made laws in the first place.
Barring identical twins, no two bodies are the same.
Indeed, some people are born with rare or unusual elements to their bodies which very few, if any, other people also share.
While some people will go to great lengths to cover these up, or make them less conspicuous, others wear their unique elements with pride.
There are also people whose bodily oddity isn't visible, but instead have a unique genetic makeup, substantially affecting their daily routine for better or worse.
"What's unusual about your body?"
Shimmering Silver Hair
"My hair started losing its color when I was 10 years old."
"I used to be brunette."
"My hair has been completely silver and white since my 20s."- ConcernedApath3
gone with the wind waiting GIF by CRPTC CHILDGiphyMechanical Heart
"My heart is bionic at this point."
"I’ve had 4 open heart surgeries, aorta and mitral valves are now titanium."
"It makes a ticking noise like a clock."
"I’m only 30."
"Hopefully I live longer."- Tired-humanoid
Misplaced Anatomy
"When I was born, none of my organs were in the places they should be."
"Had 5 surgeries after birth to get everything moved around, and put to right places."
"Luckily, no issues since."- iMissTheOldKimye
"My internal organs are all flipped 180 degrees."
"So everything's backwards."
"Situs inversus totalis."
"Sorry I should've clarified better."
"Not flipped in place but completely mirrored."
"So organs are on opposite sides as well."- tr1ppymayyyyne
Saves You Trouble On Lint...
"Two of my toes on each foot are webbed halfway."
"The index(?) and middle toe, each side."
"Nothing else."
"I can’t swim any faster which I personally think is bullsh*t."- dirtyethanol73·
Sometimes One Is Enough
"I was born with 1 Kidney."
"But my 1 Kidney is the size of 2 combined."
"So I have 1 super kidney."- Jay12678
Switch and Swap
"I have a rare condition in which my large intestine is smashed over to one side of my torso and my small intestines are smashed over to the other side."
"The only reason we discovered it is that one day, they decided to physically switch places causing extreme pain."
"They have switched places a total of four times in my life."
"It's really painful and kinda gross hearing your goopy bits flop around inside of you."- jtolb65
Animation Eating GIF by FOUGiphyBetter Than A Growling Tummy...
"I sneeze when really hungry."- Scrum_Bucket
How Long Have You Got?
"Well, I am an achondroplastic dwarf, so lets see…"
"I’m 4’0” tall at 29 years old (male), I have disproportionately short limbs compared to my torso."
"I can barely put my hands in my trouser pockets because they are so short."
"I also need to get all my trousers cropped."
"3/4 length trousers can also work as full length for me."
"I have what is called 'trident hand configuration'."
"Basically my hands naturally split into the vulcan hand sign (like three prongs)."
"It’s a common way to identify achondroplasia in the womb and how I was diagnosed."
"I did have bowed legs."
"I needed to have my legs broken and straightened when I was a kid."
"That was fun."
"Can’t fully straighten my arms."
"Even when fully extended, they are slightly bent."
"Also can’t raise them much beyond my shoulder."
"Super handy when you’re 4 f*cking feet tall and everything is out of reach."
"Absolutely stellar."
"I have mono-lids despite being a white af Scottish guy in a family with no mono-lids."
"That and frontal bossing and a depressed nasal bridge is the package 'dwarf face' deal when it comes to achondroplasia."
"Guarantees that you’ll always get random strangers approaching you going 'aren’t you that guy from time bandits?'"
" Despite the fact that you were born in 1994."
"There’s more stuff but I could be here all day."
"Just to be clear - these are all symptoms of my dwarfism."
"It’s not like I’ve been super unlucky and got a bunch of unrelated conditions."
"Just one mutation can cause all this."
"The body is great isn’t it?"- Usidore_
They Have An Understandable Attachment
"When I was born my umbilical cord was inside out and it was the first time the hospital I was born at had ever seen anything like it."
"So they asked my mum if it could be sent to a nearby university to be shown to students in order to show them what the inside of one looks like in real life."
"I am going to that exact university next year and will be on a quest to take back my umbilical cord."
"Provided it's not been thrown away, idk how long they last." - Reddit
homer simpson panic GIFGiphyExplains Why They're Always Buying New Towels
"My sweat is extra acidic."
"I can fully rust guitar strings in a week or 2, and have eaten holes on 2 laptops where I rest my hands, both happened within a year of use."- MoofieFoofer·
Chronic Moisture
"I sweat too much."
"If my shower is too warm, I start sweating and once I towel off I'm just wet from sweating for hours."
"My wife complains about my cold shower water but it's how I don't completely render the shower pointless."- CubicalWombatPoops
One Hole Too Many
"Small hole at the base of my spine just before my a** hole."
"To clarify I’m not talking about the actual a**hole itself, I’m talking about a small hole an inch above it."
"It’s not a cyst I was born with it."- Happy-Watercress3232
GiphyWe can't choose the body we're given.
It is a shame that some of these unique traits result in people having added visits to the doctor, or an increased need for medicine.
But whether they're proud or ashamed of their bodily abnormality, they at least know they will always have a conversation starter which will instantly grab everyone's attention.
CW: Suicide.
When it comes to cell phone wallpaper, it can be a very personal choice.
Sometimes, your wallpaper is silly, like a funny picture of your and your friends. Other times, it's simple, like a monochromatic background.
Sometimes, it's the way you show your love for a particular fandom. As a huge Potterhead, it's no surprise that my wallpaper is a still image of the floating candles in the Great Hall from the first Harry Potter movie.
Sometimes, your phone's wallpaper is unique, and there's a story behind it. Those stories are what Redditors shared.
It all started when Redditor SPriGJade asked:
"What's the story behind your phone's wallpaper?"
The Name’s Logan
"Wolverine. Otherwise, a topless man as wallpaper is trashy."
– Deleted User
It Was Like That When I Got It
"They made the phone with a wallpaper. I bought the phone with a wallpaper. End of story."
"My phone is not personalized at all. Aside from 2 or 3 apps this thing is stock. No music, no ring tones, no wall paper etc."
– pay-this-fool
"You’re a NPC aren’t you?"
– Milfshake23
"Hello, Mr. Thompson"
"It’s the scene where Homer becomes Mr. Thompson. The moment where he says “I think he’s talking to you”"
– downwitbrown
The Same Name
"Mine was a fan art I saw on Instagram of Blossom and Brik. I happened to have a crush on someone who has the same name as him so I put it as my wallpaper. I cannot put his actual pic there cause I have nosey friends who will dice me if they knew."
– SPriGJade
Camp Wheezeaway
"It's a picture I took at sunset at asthma camp while I was in respiratory school. We hiked out to a dam to watch the sun set and everyone was silhouettes. I think it's beautiful."
– Faye_dunwoody
"Camp counselor: “Cmon little Timmy you gotta finish the mile run in order to pass!”"
"Little Timmy:”W H E E Z E”"
– Siriuswot111
Exposure Therapy
"Either I just wanted to get over my arachnophobia or just to discourage myself from looking at my screen too much. I don't remember lol."
– WingieWingies
Real Wallpaper
"I was renovating my home and i really liked the wall paper id bought and i still had some paste left over... Its a bit of a job to see my screen though /s"
– arianleellewellyn
If Found, Please Return To...
"it is black with green text with my contact info in case my phone gets lost... simple and practical"
– 1101base2
"I hope you made sure to put your phone number on that contact info so they can call you if you lose it..."
– johnnyboy10010
Nerd Culture
"I just like Pokémon"
– yuri_nomoru122
"I just like Star Wars
– Thrashed0066
And We Fell In Love
"Me & my wife's wallpaper (for the last 5 years) is an illustration I altered of two otters holding hands, but made to look very devil-like, with horns, pointed tails, and colored red. The story is, when my wife and I were dating early on, we liked that otters hold hands when they sleep, and we would joke, saying "Thank you Satan" for being responsible for our meeting on a dating app. So... it was a combo of both of those things."
– 1313trouble
Skin And...Oh, Wait, Just Bones
"My little girl had to get an X-ray of her hand/wrist… apparently you can tell if kids are aging/growing right by their wrist??? I took a pic of her skeleton hand… haven’t changed it since!"
– mic1383
Bird's Eye View
"NASA spent $250 million so I could have a tiny blue dot as my wallpaper."
– JustDunIt42
Finish The Task
"I was trying to find a new wallpaper, said screw it, and took a picture of the table."
– juse73x
Embodiment Of My Mood
"Played a game where the character is plagued by the embodiment of death during their quest, and as they finally finish their quest the Death catches them."
"My background is the main character facing the embodiment of death, still fighting. I put it up years ago when I first started feeling suicidal. I knew that it might kill me in the end, but I wanted to fight it as long as I could. I've been having a good couple of years lately, and I feel that I have won. But I still have it as my background."
– OkBottle8719
Crazy Idea
"My wallpaper is Eminem’s a**. i don’t know how to explain that. I just thought it would be silly."
– lethalload
Interesting...
"I asked an AI to show me the end of the world by the sea and it created this terrifyingly beautiful picture ."
– LovelyBones17
I might have to try something similar next time I want to change my wallpaper!
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/