Hey all you cool cats, and kittens! When it comes to expressing unconditional love, pets have got it covered.
From loyal doggie companions to furry and affectionate kittens, they seem to know when their master is feeling down and will console them the only way they know how – by gazing into their sorrowful eyes or laying its head on their wounded heart.
Don't underestimate these intelligent creatures. Pets may be silly and chase after their own tails or points of red laser beams to no end, but when you're down, they make you feel like you nothing else matters.
Because in their world, in spite of your worst moments, you do ultimately matter.
Redditor xharry998 asked:
"What's the kindest thing a pet has done for you?"
Out-purr-ing of Love
When it comes to expressing adoration, these caring felines prove they have more than their nine lives worth of love to give.
Change Of Character
"My cat stayed In bed with me the entire time I had [the virus]. I was shocked because he's usually an a**hole."
– GaryNOVA
Jacky Boy
"Just existed. When I moved schools my sophomore year my mom got me an old man cat named jack. He was the one I talked to after and before school. He was the one who waited for me by the door when I got home. He was the one who cuddled me at night making sure I wasn't lonely or cold. He never left my side as long as I was home and it did more for me than words can express.
When you're a confused teenager who's whole world was just turned upside down due to your mom moving in with her a**hole boyfriend, all you want is a friend and that exactly what he was. If it weren't for him I wouldn't have woken up in the morning for school/work. I wouldn't have tried. I wouldn't have cared. He sadly passed away last month but I'll never forget how he changed my life. You'll never truly understand how great of an impact an animal can have until they're gone. I'll never meet another cat like him. Rest In Peace Jacky boy."
Best Mama Cat
"Back when I was rather trapped in an abusive relationship(seriously, he would threaten to kill me, and getting out took help), I was sobbing once after one of my exe's abusive episodes and his cat came up to me, put her paw on my cheek and started licking my face and purring for me, basically being the best mama cat she could be for me at that moment. I still tear up thinking about it."
In Grief
"When I was pregnant my cat would just lay across my belly, he started this before I even knew that I was pregnant. Every once in a while he would lick my stomach. When I miscarried he moved up to my chest and would lay his head right over my heart. It's been years but he still does it. It makes me cry sometimes but I know he had been excited about my pregnancy."
"Gatita"
"A skinny stray cat showed up on my porch, so I began feeding it. A few weeks later, I was in a traumatic highway accident that left me hospitalized for a month."
"Sadly, the cat I had already owned for a few years ran away during that time, but the skinny stray stuck around and waited for me."
"Naturally, I adopted that stray cat (naming her "Gatita") and she's probably the best cat I've owned."
Former Flat Earthers Explain What Finally Made Them Come Around | George Takei’s Oh Myyy
Science is science. Fact is fact. Truth is truth and simple is simple. These are things we must now attest to in 2021. Can we please all get onboard with wha...Dogs
Frederick the Great presumably declared a "dog is man's best friend" – a phrase later popularized by a poem about dogs written by Odgen Nash.
But we know that when it comes to being a loyal companion, regardless of gender, dogs don't discriminate.
The Angel
"I survived stage IV cancer and a bone marrow transplant. Often I would have a hard time sleeping because of the steroids I was on w/ chemo. I would go upstairs to the den and would see some random sad commercial, or a poignant scene in a show/movie, and I would silently cry. I don't know why silently, but my dog Fry always came up; without fail. He would sleep on my tumors during my treatment. I'm not religious, but if there are angels, Fry was one. 'Acquiring a dog may be the only opportunity a human has to choose a relative.' – Mordecai Siegal."
After A Breakup
"I was going through a bad break-up and had all the classic heartbreak signs: loss of appetite, bad sleeping patterns, lethargy. If I fell asleep on the couch, my dog would (try to) pull a blanket off the back of the couch over me. If I didn't eat, she would either drag me to her full bowl or wake me up by dropping kibble on me. If I slept too long, she would drop toys on my face. Up to and including her favorite Chewing Rock. Which was a fist-sized rock she liked to chew on."
"I miss her."
The Protector
"When I had home health PT after I broke my leg, my dog would lay next to me to try to prevent the physical therapist from hurting me."
Doggie To The Rescue
"Saved my life."
"When I was a baby my aunt was on her phone not paying attention at all and baby me was crawling on our deck and then all of a sudden I fell into the pool my dog Zoie saw and began to bark like crazy until my aunt came over and saw me drowning. I was told I was under the water for 10 minutes and the doctors said I wouldn't make it but I survived and it's all thanks to her I literally wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her."
More Than A Hound Dog
"When my dad had a heart attack our Border Collie/Hound dog mix would not leave his side and even kept jumping in the ambulance while they were working on him. I just know it was because nearly every Friday night he would drag her up into his lap and sing Elvis Presely's Hound Dog while rubbing her ears."
– notjawn
The Yellow Rose
"I had an aunt who loved yellow roses, but she passed away in 2013. We were very close before she passed and I was devastated. This is important."
"Six years later I was in a bad place. My medication for my mental illness wasn't working so I was spiraling pretty hard. I have a dog, a mutt who I'll call Rosy for this story. One day I was taking Rosy for a walk and contemplated how I would commit s**cide. We were walking through the woods near my house and I let her off leash. We live in the country so no leash laws or high chances of running into anyone else. I was mentally writing my note and deciding my affairs when she came back to me, carrying a yellow rose. I have no idea where she found it, but it was just the flower and leaves and no stem. After that she stuck to me like glue, which was unusual since she usually did her own thing. She even cuddled up to me that night. After that I decided I couldn't leave her, because she cared so much and something must have happened for her to bring that rose to me. My mom even had a tattoo of a yellow rose in remembrance of my aunt. She saved my life, and I don't know if she was even fully aware. But she did, and now I'm happier than ever. She's a happy four year old now, and I'm happier than ever. Thank you, Rosy, for being my best friend and partner for the last four years of my life, and my savior for the last two."
Loving Companions
Dogs and cats aren't the only ones capable of showing affection.
Such A Sweet Cheese
"I had a pet rat once, she was the sweetest thing. Of course, some people don't like rats because they think they're mean and dirty and things like that, but whenever I hear that I tell the story of the one time my rat bit me. I was giving her a small piece of carrot as a treat, and she was so excited that she missed the carrot and barely put her teeth on my finger instead, she didn't bite down or anything, but I guess she realized that she almost bit me, so she then proceeded to lick my finger instead, like she was apologizing for almost biting me."
"She was a really good rat."
Affectionate Birdie
"I had a parrot and got dumped by this girl and was heartbroken. Granted I was only 14 at the time so I just started crying."
"That bird flew down to my bed, ran up my arm and stared giving me kisses and wouldn't stop till I broke out laughing then it joined me."
"His name was Elvis, he was my buddy for about 24 years and always was at my side when I was down."
Sweet Lizard
"My gecko pinky licked my face when I was sad and laid his head on my finger."
Loyal Turtle
"I was in a bad state and was crying a lot . Suddenly my baby turtle climbs on my feet and keeps staring at me. I then pick him up and keep him in my lap,he still keeps staring. I begin to laugh and then he basically puts his head in his shell and sleeps lol."
I never had a pet, but only because my mother loathed them. She thought they were filthy and were just too much stress to have around the home.
When I asked her later in life why we really didn't have any pets – particularly a dog – she said I wasn't given one because my parents were concerned I would get too attached and not be able to endure the grief of a dying dog.
I remember strongly objecting to that rationale. How else would I, as a kid, be prepared to grapple with the harsh reality of mortality?
Still, I believe there is something to that line of thinking.
But although I was being protected, I feel like I've missed out on experiencing the love from a dog who would have placed its head on my lap whenever I cried like a baby during a rough time I had as a teenager. Sigh.
Gifts People Really Want For Christmas But Know No One Is Going To Get Them
Reddit user GeneralSpectatorTots asked: 'What do you want for Christmas that you know you aren't going to get?'
The holiday season is lovely, but it's full of pressure to travel, plan, host, and of course, get gifts for a lot of people.
But the thing we don't really talk about is how common it is to want something specific and to not have someone in our life who tries to seek out what that thing is.
Unless we get it for ourselves, it's common that we won't get what we actually want.
Redditor GeneralSpectatorTots asked:
"What do you want for Christmas that you know you aren't going to get?"
Sobriety
"My brother to be sober and happy."
- whatwhatwhat82
"I’m also trying to get sober. I wish your brother well. Keep being a support to him."
- Keri2816
A New Home
"A house deposit."
- WolfGirl_4
"A house deposit? Just gift you a house!"
- Grenflik
A Financial Advantage
"A winning lottery ticket."
- Krem541
"Every year I ask Santa. Every f**king year."
- kuchikopi626
Grandma's Homecooked Meals
"One last meal from my grandma. She made the best food, and of course, you don't know the last time is going to be the last time until it's too late."
- fakefishy
Family Love
"Love from my parents."
- bub_501
"This mom is sending you a long hug."
- hippocampus237
A Professional Massage
"A gift certificate for a professional massage. I can't bring myself to spend the money on myself. I need to just bite the bullet and do it."
"I have asked for one every year for years. Sometimes it's the only thing I ask for from my parents and my partner (when they ask what I want)."
"I always get wonderful gifts that I love, use, and/or needed but I REALLY WANT A F**KING MASSAGE."
- agbmom
The Best Neighbor
"A card from my twin brother saying, 'Just kidding, I’m not moving to Washington, I actually found a place in your neighborhood!'"
- insertcaffeine
Very Important Things
"Free Healthcare and a good used car for my husband."
- Sufficient_Letter883
The End to Ableism
"Independence and not being infantilized because I’m a 37-year-old disabled woman and no one in my family understands (extended family who all live within 10 mins of me)."
- Keri2816
World Travel
"Guilt-free travel! It's like asking for a never-ending vacation. How I wish I could just hop around the world without worrying about a thing!"
- KayleNewirk
Sounds Like Paradise
"A pretty, and big apartment for me and my cat."
- cats-autumn
"For my cat to let me sleep through the night."
- Cheese_BasedLifeform
Moving Solutions
"A stress-free move, with eight days between closings of two houses four states apart, and four pets to manage in temporary housing. Help me, Santa, I’ve been a good girl."
- Kind-Dust7441
Ready To Be Done!
"For my doctoral capstone paper to finally be approved so I can be done with school! Please, please, Santa, I’m on rewrite 19!"
- TomatilloNo4213
Two Front Teeth
"My two front teeth... My two front teeth."
"But seriously, teeth."
"Mine are all falling out due to an autoimmune disease, and I need implants."
- donkeybrainz13
The Perfect Partner
"A partner to go on adventures with… have singalongs with… and who adores and truly sees me."
- miaoouu
While we may have been expecting some silly responses, or even for someone to finally buy the right brand of a favorite candle or lotion or makeup, these responses were a great reminder of what's really important.
And unfortunately, many of the most important things can't be replaced or fit into a Christmas stocking.
Breaking up is hard to do no matter who initiated it.
But once time has passed and exes have moved on, the healing process can be jarred by a surprise.
A regretfilled person may try and make contact with the one they broke up with and ask for forgiveness, or the person who had their heart broken could also reappear and plead for a fresh new start.
The outcome depends on how much, or how little, the spark of love remains.
Curious to hear more of this scenario from strangers online, Redditor XenaVonKeksdose asked:
"What would you say to your ex if they suddenly showed up at your door?"
For these Redditors, it wouldn't be a happy reunion.
Either, Or
"It ranges from 'come on in and make yourself comfortable' to 'get the f'k out of here' , depending on which one shows up."
– Lone_Buck
"Odds of it being the one who got away: low."
"Odds of it being the one who took 5 years to understand what 'f'k off' meant: pretty high."
– liquid_acid-OG
It's A Nightmare
"Screaming. They've passed."
– BigGrayBeast
"Similar situation here. I did have a dream that my late wife showed up at my door. She said, 'There was a mix up at the coroner, you wouldn’t believe what I’ve been through.”'
"Still in the dream we talked for a bit about nothing. Then I said, 'Wait, what about the life insurance, do we have to pay it back?' And just after that I woke up."
– AnonEMoussie
No Thanks
"Nah"
"Slowly closes the door while maintaining eye contact."
"Also aggressively locks the door."
– SnooCats7666
"raises drawbridge."
– lunalives
Some would show traces of resentment.
Unwelcome
"The f'k do you want? And how did you get this address?"
– s73v3m4nn
"wtf ffs"
– zxr7
Too Little Too Late
"You couldn't put in effort in messaging me, but you have effort now to see me months after we break up‽"
– ShyTerraWolf
"Wait, if you’re here who’s running hell?”
– So__bored
"Who’s guarding HADES."
– Boostio_TV
Hit 'Em Where It Hurts
"I lost weight... You seem to have found it."
– elmo-1959
"now get the f'k off my lawn."
– starkresilient
"Savage."
– 20190229
Others shared less bitter responses.
Coming Clean
"Honestly, I apologize. I know dealing with my prior alcoholism must have been a nightmare. I regret causing you and anyone else pain and hope you are happy. I am a year into sobriety and can understand why it ended. I wish you well."
"Edit: Since this is getting so much traction, I just want to say thanks for all the support. This could honestly be directed at a few of my exes. I am happily married now to someone that also got a taste of my drinking. We stuck it out while I got sober and I have to credit her with being an amazing support system. I also need to shout out r/stopdrinking for providing reinforcement on a daily basis. It is a great community. Naltrexone was also a major part of it. I can't change the past but I think I have a much better hold on the future."
– vivazeta
Someone That I Used To Know
"I've been married for almost 25 years, I don't know if I would even recognize any exes."
– 4a4a
"Yep. That person went from 'ex' to 'someone I once dated' years ago."
– ktwhite42
Expressing Regrets
"I'm sorry for the way I treated you."
– warlordwinters
"Good on you for growing."
– Zealousideal_Ad_7465
Catching Up
"I’d say hello! What are you doing here? It has been a long time."
– ExaminationLucky6082
Wish You Well
"A lot of snarky or comical answers in here, but I'll try to be as sincere as I can."
"My first major ex, first time I got my heart broken: I would sincerely hope that she's doing well. She broke my heart, but it was for the best and it made me into the man I am today. I don't want to think of how much worse I would be if she hadn't given me a reality check wake-up-call. So really just 'Hey, how have you been? I hope the years have been kind to you.'"
"My most recent ex, the first and only time I've had to break someone's heart: I honestly just hope that she can forgive me for having to make taking care of myself and my needs the priority in my life. She's an amazing woman, kindergarten school teacher, unanimously adored by everyone that meets her. But we met via travels, and lived in two different states. Circumstances shifted and seeing each other became much less frequent. Neither of us wanted to quit our jobs and chuck a grenade into our lives and careers. Eventually, for my own mental and emotional health, I had to call it. I truly hope she finds someone amazing, she deserves it. So I would just sincerely hope that she understands, and has moved on."
– obaterista93
I once showed up at an exes door after I broke up with him about a month prior.
I genuinely loved and missed him after making the very difficult decision to end things due to conflicting circumstances that kept us from maintaining a healthy relationship.
But I quickly learned that if you did the breaking up, you should respect the other person's space for a respectable amount of time.
I went to visit him at the apartment where we lived together and a new lover answered the door for him after there was a long period of giggles and lots of feet shuffling from behind the door.
Clearly, he was doing just fine.
Of course, I wasn't welcomed in and was asked what I wanted, to which I had no answer but, "do you have any mail for me?"
Indigenous Americans Share Their Tribe's Best Ghost Stories And Legends
People the world over develop their own specific folklore, heavily influenced by the natural world around them and their own culture.
The North American continent was no different.
Reddit user A_KULT_KILLAH wanted to know about the myths and legends of the Indigenous peoples of North America.
They asked:
"Native Americans of Reddit, what are your or your tribes ghost stories, legends, or supernatural occurrences?"
Here are some of the interesting legends and superstitions of North America's First Nations and Indigenous tribes.
Uktena
Brice Cooper on Unsplash
"Uktena. It's a legend about a horned snake in Tsalagi [Cherokee] legend. Uktena is said to be very large and round like a tree trunk, with horns on his head."
"The only way to wound him is to shoot at a singular spot on his forehead that emits bright light. It's similar to a diamond. If you defeat Uktena, you become a miracle worker."
"A great warrior. Yet, once you see the light of his forehead, you run toward it instead of trying to escape."
"Even to see Uktena sleeping is death. Not to the hunter, but to his family."
~ Faith-Hope-TacoBell
Dog Tails or Why They Sniff Each Other
gotdaflow on Unsplash
"Lenni Lenape story about why dogs sniff each other's butts."
"When the humans slept, dogs would get together and party, but not before taking their tails off. They'd dance the entire night, put their tails back on and return home."
"But one time a wolf found them and all the dogs had to scramble away to their homes for safety, but a lot of them grabbed the wrong tail."
"They never danced again at night because they were afraid of the wolf, so they were stuck with weird mismatched tails for the rest of their lives."
"This is the reason that dogs sniff each other's butts; to see if the other dog has their tail."
~ ChurroChick
Haida Raven Brings Light to the Earth
Cristina Glebova on Unsplash
"In the beginning there was no light in the world, because an old magician kept it hidden in a box inside his house. Raven, who was always hungry, didn't like the darkness because it was difficult to find food."
"One day he was looking for food near the old magician's house. He heard a voice saying, 'I have a box, and inside this box is another box, and inside this there is another box, and inside the smallest box is all the light in the world'."
"Raven decided to steal the light."
"Raven waited until the old man's daughter went down to the river to collect water. Just as she was dipping her basket into the river, he changed himself into a hemlock needle."
"The needle floated into her basket. When the girl drank some water, she swallowed Raven too."
"Inside the girl's belly Raven took the form of a human baby. He grew and grew, and in time she gave birth to a funny looking child with black eyes and a big nose."
"The old man loved his grandson so much that he gave in to the child's every wish. Raven became spoilt and greedy. He was bored with all his toys, and wanted to play with the box that held the light."
"Finally the grandfather opened the box and tossed the glowing ball of light to Raven."
"As soon as Raven caught the light, he immediately changed into his bird form. Holding the light in his beak, he flew up the chimney hole into the dark world."
"The magician was angry. He wanted to get the light back into his box."
"He flew after Raven."
"The light was heavy in Raven's beak, and he was getting tired. The magician was coming closer."
"Raven broke off some pieces of the light and threw them into the sky. They became the stars."
"The magician was still coming closer, so Raven broke off another piece of the light and threw it into the sky. It became the moon."
"Finally Raven became so tired that he tossed the last and biggest piece of the light into the sky. It became the sun; and that is how daylight came to the world."
~ deviety
Nakani
Oliver Roos on Unsplash
"Dené from northern British Columbia here, my mom used to always tell me stories of the Nehgunni [Nakani], or bushmen/wild-men when I was young."
"They were people who lived in the forest and took away people who wandered too far out, specifically children."
"I always figured these stories were created by my people to serve two purposes, first to teach young children to not wander far off, and second to give explanations to kidnappings or missing people."
~ spanishLION
See-at-coh
green trees near lake under blue sky during daytimePhoto by Jasper Gronewold on Unsplash"See-at-coh (don't know the translation in English) is a Cowlitz legend. Lived at this lake and it was his spot."
"We DO NOT go there or he will kill you. Used to have nightmares about him based on what I was taught as a kid."
"Like how you could stand at the edge of the water and be looking in and he would come out of it and just grab you. No whistling at night and keep windows covered."
"But then the mountain blew up [Mt. Saint Helen] and filled in the lake so don't know if he's still around or not."
~ kalimah1
Nahual of Mexico
Joshua Wilking on Unsplash
"I live in rural Mexico. There are many, many different Indigenous peoples in what's now Mexico."
"The ones who settled here speak Nahuatl—the language of the Aztecs. This legend took place in the early 1900's."
"One of my favourite Nahuatl myths is the Nahual."
"Some people were thought to be able to turn into an animal. Most of them could only turn into one, but the most powerful Nahual could turn into different animals."
"There was a man who owned a hacienda where my town is, and he had a sort of overseer that everyone was afraid of."
"Said overseer could take a message all the way to the next state (think hundreds of miles) and bring back a sealed response in a single day."
"He also seemed to know everything everyone did, all the time. He was rumoured to be a Nahual that could turn into a coyote and an eagle."
"His quarters were heavily warded in his absence, which only added fuel to the rumor. You can only kill a Nahual if you find the human skin he sheds to transform and burn said skin."
~ CTalina78
Yamǫ́rıa & Yamǫǫ̀zha
Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash
"Yamǫ́rıa & Yamǫǫ̀zha—the giant twins [of the Dené]."
"There are landmarks all around the territory I live in that is exhibited as 'proof' they were alive."
"In the middle of the Mackenzie river( biggest river in the NorthWest Territories) there is a large stone sticking out of the river which looks like the petrified guts of a beaver, there is a giant branchless, leafless tree sticking out of the top of this stone."
"It is said that Yamǫǫ̀zha had hunted a giant beaver and gutted him there in the river. He used his spear to anchor down the cuts so fish may feed on them. They are still there to this day."
"Yamǫ́rıa's body can be seen laying down, it is essentially a mountain range that looks like a giant human laying on his back, completely with face and feet. This can be seen from the peak of the hill as you enter a town called Ft. Liard, the southwestern most town in the NWT."
Walking Sam of the Pine Ridge Reservation
Boston Public Library on Unsplash
"'Walking Sam' skulks in the shadows of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota and convinces people to take their own lives, especially young people."
"He's 7 feet tall, very thin and has no mouth. When he stretches out his long arms, nooses hang down with Lakota children hanging from them."
"Walking Sam finds you when you're alone and puts thoughts in your head until you feel worthless and kill yourself.
"Sometimes Walking Sam is depicted looking like Abraham Lincoln, complete with the stovepipe hat. 'Walking Sam', 'Uncle Sam', I don't know if that's where the name came from."
"But Walking Sam is an evil infected upon the people when the Oceti Sakowin were forced onto the reservations; he isn't a legend of the people before Pine Ridge Reservation existed."
"Lincoln was President when the Lakota were being forced onto reservations. Lincoln also ordered the execution of 38 Lakota men the day after Christmas in 1862. It's the largest mass execution in U.S. history."
"I always thought Walking Sam was Lincoln. They carved his face onto Ŝa´kpe Tuŋkaŋŝi (Mount Rushmore was called Six Grandfathers) in the Paha Sa´pa (Black Hills)
"My Father attended Holy Rosary boarding school at Pine Ridge in the 1940s & 1950s, but our people didn't live on the reservation. My Grandmother said evil stalked the people there."
"My Father never wanted us to ever even visit any of our cousins or his Uncles there."
~ LakotaGrl
Este Lopocke or Este Lubutke
Morgane Perraud on Unsplash
"Miccosukee [Seminole] tribal member here (South Florida) and for us it's the little people."
"Essentially really small people (like barbie doll sized and smaller) that live in the trees. They play jokes and stuff mainly, unless you piss them off."
"Had family members get tricks played on them that couldn't be explained."
"And then we have our fair share of stories that circulate our reservation like a tribal member being taken by the little people."
"All on the reservation in the Everglades (like 40 mins west of Miami)."
~ SSBMBabyCakes
Haudenosaunee Rules
Chris Chow on Unsplash
"I know the Haudenosaunee [Iroquois Confederacy] rules."
"1. If you hear someone you know calling your name, but you also know they are not supposed to be there, DON'T respond. Especially if they are out of sight and insisting you come to them."
"2. Always play group games in counter-clockwise order, otherwise your playing with the dead."
"3. Also don't eat in the dark, this is considered inviting the dead to eat with you. If you can extend your hand all the way out and still see it clearly then your fine."
"4. Don't play card games past midnight. If you do, and someone knocks at the door, don't answer it."
"5. Try not to drop your cards, if you do then don't bend down to pick them up, or you will see hooves under the table. That's bad."
"6. Say thank you after meals, even if you're the one that made it. Even better if you say it in native tongue."
"7. If someone finishes their meal and says thank you, you say 'you're welcome', even if you didn't give it to them. Even better in native tongue."
"8. After someone dies, you should gather family as quickly as possible to have feasts for 10 days. The first dinner is large, then every meal after that is a smaller feast meant for portions of the family to come at different times to help.
"The last feast on the 10th day is the closing dinner, which is the largest, with the entire family expected to show up and help. For every meal of these 10 days, put out a plate of the deceased's favorite foods first."
"Contrary to rule 6, you do not say thank you at any time during these 10 days. This is because it is believed that it takes the dead 10 days to relive their lives before they pass on, so this is your last chance to eat with them."
"Saying 'Thank you' during this time will make them stop before they're done because you're saying you're done. This will have bad consequences."
"9. Don't try to contact spirits, especially with board games. This is not a tribe custom, it's more of an unspoken common sense among the Rez people."
"10. If a bird flies into your house, someone's going to die."
"11. Pregnant woman should not hold any child that isn't theirs."
"12. It's accepted that if you actually try to curse someone, literally going through all of the steps with the intention of harm, not accidentally wishing them bad luck, then your family will also be cursed horribly."
"13. If you play with fire you'll wet the bed."
~ kinda-always-hungry
To learn more general information about Indigenous mythology of the United States, visit the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian website.
For Canada, visit the First Nations in Canada website.
For information about specific tribes, visit their tribal government website for recommended resources.
People Break Down The Most Disturbing Thing They've Ever Casually Been Told
Every now and again, when talking to a friend or family member, a rather shocking piece of information might casually slip out.
Information one imagines they wanted to keep secret for as long as they possibly could.
In some cases, it's something embarrassing, that everyone will be able to laugh about with the passage of time.
In other cases, however, it's information that stuns us silent.
Learning something we wish we hadn't.
Redditor DarthAbhinav11 was curious to hear the most disturbing information people have ever been casually told or overheard, leading them to ask:
"What is the most disturbing thing you've heard said casually?"
An Acquired Taste
"I work in a deli and some lady asked me to cut her ham extremely thin to the point of seeing through it."
"I heard her justify it as 'so you can get rid of the ham taste'."
"I still think about this one."- Alternative_Net8931
Utterly Horrid
"When I was walking to my front door."
"My neighbor had their window open and was scolding their 3 year old adopted child."
"She was howling crying."
"'Do you want mommy to send you back?'"- BoredBSEE
It Arrives Sooner Than You Think...
At Macy's, two teen girls: 'Women over 30 have the ugliest elbows'."
"'OMG. I know'."
"'Very disturbing'."
"'I always ask my mom to wear long sleeves when we go out to eat'."- CapitalPhilosophy513
Never Too Late
"I when younger I worked at a pool and had to lifeguard senior aerobics classes."
"Most participants where 65+."
“'Where’s so and so'.”
“'Oh he won’t be here, his wife was put into hospice'.”
“'Well I feel bad for him, but we do need some more single men around here'."
"'He’s not bad looking, has a retirement too'.”- CuriousOne9320
Round And Round It Goes...
"'If the Earth is spinning, then why my front door is always facing east?'"- SuvenPan
"Something I once heard a passing stranger say for which I have no context: 'He wears a scarf around his neck so you can't see where he's decaying'."
"I've been curious for years and it annoys me that I'll never know."- xyanon36
Breaking Up Is Hard To Do
"An ex after I ended things 'I don’t understand, if I want to be in a relationship with you but you don’t want to be in a relationship with me why do you get to win?'"- TinyFurryHorseBeak
Not His Decision To Make
"Was at an end of season event for my kid's baseball team when he was little."
"The coaches brought Italian ice for everyone."
"Mom has just served her kids and husband and comes back with her own."
"As she's sitting down to eat, I hear her husband loud whisper behind her something like 'absolutely not'."
"'You don't need any more calories'."
"I just watched her face fall."
"I can't imagine what their marriage must look like behind closed doors and what life must be like for her."
"Heartbreaking."
"Note that this woman was already probably a size 2 at most so this was not a scenario where there were serious weight-related health problems."
"This guy was just a jerk and this really wasn't the first time that season, but his reminders that they aren't living up to his standards were usually aimed at his kids on the field."
"I try to assume the best of people but that guy sucked."- littleirishpixie
The Truth Hurts
"I was in an accident once and was hospitalized."
"The accident left me severely disfigured."
"I was out of my mind on pain meds when I arrived at the hospital and told my family to call my girlfriend and let her know what happened and where I was."
"My mom called my girlfriend and my sister not knowing the particulars of my life called my ex."
"Neither knew the other had called and both ended up showing up."
"They arrived within an hour of one another while I was asleep."
"Since someone was there with me it gave my family a chance to go home and take a break."
"So I woke up to my ex and my girlfriend talking to one another."
"Obviously my girlfriend was mad my ex was there and things got heated between the two."
"My ex being level headed suggested they step into the hall since I was half awake and in no condition to deal with the drama."
"As they're arguing in the hall voices are being raised until finally a nurse comes to reign the situation in."
"The nurse breaking them up made my girlfriend leave."
"As she was leaving she yelled 'you can have his a**'."
"'It's not like I wanna be with some burnt up scarred dude anyway'."
"'He's f*cked'."
"At this point I was still bed ridden and hadn't seen a mirror."
"I was aware my body was f*cked but had no idea what I actually looked like."
"Hearing that was such a gut punch and it really messed with my head at the time."- Burnvictim49percent
Where To Even Begin?
"I am a tutor."
"I heard some of my students say ;What's the point in learning history? We should live in the present'."
"We are German."- GentlemanPirate13
Most of the time, when a friend or family member warns us or apologizes for sharing "too much information" or "TMI", what we've heard isn't that shocking in the grand scheme of things.
Indeed, as evidenced by the sad and shocking stories above, when people really share TMI, they often have no idea they're doing so.