An amazing accomplishment.

"My mom is 10 years sober today. I remember her opening another beer, taking one sip, putting it down and saying 'I'm done'. She checked herself into rehab the next day. My dad joined about 3 months later.

Both are completely different people, and I can't imagine our relationship being what it is today if they continued to drink."

Sometimes_Stutters

Some people are just exhausting.

"For years, my sister had a super toxic friendship with a girl that epitomized narcissistic and manipulative behavior. My sister was constantly down on herself, exhausted from taking care of her, and feeling depressed because she felt like she was a failure of a friend.

Then one day, after a phone call she slammed down the phone and said "F--- it, I'm done with her." I swear I saw weights sliding down her shoulders and shackles falling off of her. She's just so much better off now.

Don't stick with friendships just because you've known each other for a long time."

lasteclipse

Smart move.

"Kicked my ex out of my apartment, packed my own stuff the same day and moved back home until I could move again.

In just three hours I went from feeling hopeless and afraid to being in a safe place with constant security. (Two big dogs, at least two people awake at all times, and he didn't know where it was.)"

PostItFrustrations

A complete 180.

"My freshman year of high school there was this awful bully who would make life hell for anyone he could. He was almost cartoonishly mean and cruel. I truly hated him.

The next year a teacher whom the bully respected pulled him aside and told him that he was too smart to be acting that way and that he was going to end up friendless and in jail if he continued that behavior.

Literally the next day at school this kid starting trying to make amends with people he'd terrorized, myself included. He started taking his schoolwork seriously and started standing up for other people and trying to be as kind as possible to others around him.

18 years later he's still one of my dearest friends in the world. I'd take a bullet for that dude."

ncjaja

Happily ever after.

"Earlier this year, my son was unceremoniously dumped by a long-term girlfriend who cheated on him. The whole situation just obliterated him. Further complicating things is a tight rental market, which meant he had to stay with my daughter for a month while he tried to find a place to live.

But find a place he did! And it was pet friendly, so he got to take his pets with him. The day he moved in, he was like a brand new person. He'd had some time to deal with the heartbreak, and in the meantime had taken a second part-time job (on top of his regular job) that lets him use his musical talent. Moving day was a great day for him, but it was also a great day for me, because it was something I couldn't have imagined in those awful days immediately following the break-up."

sirdigbykittencaesar

So brave.

"There was this kid at my high school. He had no friends, never talked to anyone, but everyone knew who he was because he read the announcements over the PA system each morning.

On his last day, he made a short, but incredibly moving speech looking back on what his high school experience meant to him; his successes, failures, and lessons learned, and dreams for the future. Though he had some of the highest grades, he said that his one regret was that he never made any friends.

Everyone was touched by his speech. It was honestly beautiful. That day he made a ton of friends, including myself. He was a super intelligent and funny person, and very interesting to talk to.

I went to the same college as him, and you'd never know he was that nerdy kid with no friends in high school. He had a big social circle, and still got good grades. An overall well-rounded person and super cool guy."

svenson_26

Gained a new passion.

"When my brother died everyone in the family was devastated, but it hit my parents the most. Losing a child isn't supposed to happen--its just not.

My dad had to write my brother's obituary for the newspaper and worked on this short piece for hours and hours. He's written small things before, but not something like that. I think writing that piece reminded him that his son was a writer: he'd written a comic book, a play, and was working on his first novel too. My dad was still really sad, but I think that was a pivotal moment for him. It gave him drive and passion after such a horrible experience.

My dad now loves to write and has taken classes so he can create better stories. He's so proud when he finishes an essay or short story, and I can see that he's doing better.

The obituary, by the way, was the best I've ever read and honored the rebellious nature my brother had perfectly."

TardigradeInAHat

Talk about growth!

"When I was in my late 20s I walked into an Army recruitment office and said "I'm in my 20s, I've been living in my car for the last month and I haven't eaten in 2 days and I'm completely ashamed of all of this".

The recruiter took me to a diner for lunch, made a few phone calls and for 2 days I slept on a bed in an abandoned office at an Army Reserve Center in our city. Then I was on a plane for Fort Benning Georgia.

That one day changed my life and now, almost 20 years later, I'm married with kids, I have a college degree in a STEM field, I own a house and I'm completely debt free. And I have some incredible stories from my time in the Army as well as the time before I joined. Most of the stuff that happened afterwards is pretty mundane and boring. And I'm glad of that."

PunchBeard

It's a miracle!

"Not rebuild their life, but my mother had a significant positive change in a single day.

When I was around 7 years old, my mother was diagnosed with manic depression, now commonly known as bipolar disorder. She was extremely depressed and angry and suicidal. It got to the point where my brother and I were sent to live with my aunt while my father took care of her.

During that time, she tried different anti depressants, admitted herself to an asylum, and tried a lot of things like prayer. It was getting frustrating for her and my father.

One day, she woke up and said she was better. It literally was a Christmas miracle. My brother and I returned home and life resumed as normal.

Although life wasn't perfect (we had the challenges typical families go through), we did not experience the traumatic things she used to do when she was in her manic or depressed state."

Holanz

Way to step it up!

"My brother.

Was always getting in fights at school. Fought teacher even knocked out a cop once who was pushing his buttons. Stealing, skipping school, racing and just reckless. I hated him and everyone thought he'd he in jail for sure and dead a little after.

Got a girl pregnant. Immediately stepped up married her a few years later after he made sure he loved her. House, 70k-ish job, sis in law good job, second kid, little to no debt and I like being around him now."

scienceboicowboy