My mom sucks at giving compliments. There. I said it. I know 50 of you guys are going to forward this article to her and rat me out, so let me explain. She means well and in her mind she truly is giving a compliment. She just words things terribly, like she has this thing for pairing a compliment with a "constructive criticism." To my mom, saying something like "you're so beautiful, you'd be an absolute stunner if you lost weight" is just her telling you that she thinks you're beautiful - and have the potential to be woman-in-the-red-dress-Matrix-scene-head-turningly-distracting kind of gorgeous. All compliments! To the outside world she totally called you fat.
So I went most of my life never really hearing compliments when my mother thought she was giving them all the time. Then it happened, in ninth grade during the peak of my awkward era, I overheard her tell one of her friends that she loved the way I sang and that she knew I stayed up for hours after she sent me to bed because I would sing to myself for hours at night, but she never came in and told me to go to bed because she loved getting her own little concert.
Sure, my mom is biased - but she's also one of those painfully honest brown moms who absolutely would have told her friends if my singing voice was pure caca, ya know?
Moms are so pure, you guys.
One Reddit user asked:
What's the most kind/beautiful thing you've overheard about yourself by accident?
And yup, it's exactly as warm and fuzzy as you think it is. So come on, guys. Let's do this. Brace yourselves, we're aiming straight for your feels.
Pretty Hard Not To
I don't have a lot of coworkers (about 13 altogether and I only work directly with 4-5). But when I was in the break room I heard a few of them talking about a coworker they don't like, saying she's rude to everyone. And one of them said "She's pretty nice to [whatever my name is]." And the others said "Well, everyone likes [whatever my name is], pretty hard not to." It was hard to walk back in there and not be like LOVE YOU TOO THANKS GUYS!
- merlot-o
That Fire
My dad doesn't really compliment people. He's the quiet type that hides behind jokes and sarcasm. However, I once heard him talk to an old friend of his at a Christmas party, saying; "That's my kid right there. Pure rock n' roll, just like his old man. Never gives up, just keeps steaming on like a freight train. I tell ya, some kids just have that fire, you know?"
The World's Expert
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This isn't my story, but it's my favorite.
My college professor researched Egyptian mummified cats. He was back at the British museum looking at some cats and they had a staff shift while he was still in there. He started talking to the new guy on his way out and the guy says, "if you're interested in mummified cats, you should talk to [professor's name]. He's the world's expert in mummified cats." My professor was speechless for a moment and then said "I'm [professor's name]"
And that's how he learned he was the world's expert.
Good Job
Was home from college and my parents thought I was asleep. Heard them complimenting each other on how they "did a good job" raising me and how I had turned out really well.
Worth The Effort
I had a girl over (first time dating in years) and my roommate (female, super close friend) was there as well. Heard my roommate say "I know he's shy and a little awkward at first but give it a shot, he's super sweet and really funny once he's comfortable, he's worth the effort". Gave me a huge much needed boost since I struggle with confidence and usually don't like myself.
The Conference Call
Was on a conference call with one of our clients and they didn't know I was on it. I hadn't said anything since I was just taking notes. The client went: "It's a shame he's not on this call as I'd like him to know that he's positively changed the working life of many people and his work was much appreciated." I had to walk away and cry as it was my last day.
Happy Laugh
I was joking around with some acquaintances at a party and somebody got me with a really funny joke. I started giggling like a madman and I heard a girl on the other end of the room turn to my sister and say "I just love his laugh, It's so happy!" and she responded "I know!"
That still makes me smile when I remember.
The Honest Hottie
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Once, at a drive through, I was given an extra $20 bill change by accident. I gave it back to the clerk, and as I drove away I heard her turn to her co-worker and say "What an honest guy!"
Then I heard her co-worker say "yeah- he was really hot, too!"
I blushed so hard the whole way home with my greasy cheeseburger.
Mom Compliments Are The Best
When my Mom defends me over things I didn't think she cared about or notice. Like my weight training and powerlifting. All my siblings think it's unproductive and a waste of time because it doesn't fit into their small minded world of what a stay at home Mom should be doing.
I've heard her tell them how important it is to me and how much I love it because it's something I'm good at. I've always felt like an idiot, a screw up and s loser who could never finish anything I started. This meant a lot to me. I've heard her say stuff along the lines of somehow finding time to train and time to be a great Mom. That meant a lot because if you're a Mom, you'd understand when I say, I never feel like a good Mom even though you know damn well you're doing great. Mom guilt sucks.
I've lost 135 pounds and am on track for having a state record in all 3 squat, bench and deadlift in February. That's a fucking personal accomplishment to me. Waste of time? I'd like to tell my brothers and sisters to go jump in a lake....or go to church or go shopping or whatever the hell you do.
The Teacher Who Changed Everything
I was hospitalized for six months after a suicide attempt as a teenager. I had to go to school in the hospital. I love languages and every week a French teacher would come in and give me French lessons. She gave me an essay to write for homework and I wrote about my illness. I overheard her telling my nurse that it was a joy to correct my work. It might not seem like much, but to a 17 year old girl who felt totally worthless, it meant the whole world. I wish I could tell that teacher that I'm almost finished my degree in modern languages now.
Must Be Fate
I'm a 19-year-old virgin, no girlfriend, haven't dated anyone since last year, so I kinda feel like shit sometimes
Recently met a girl, we've been on three dates.
On our 3rd date she gave me her phone to show me something on her twitter, as I scroll down I accidentally saw a tweet from her talking about me as her crush, that we both like a particular thing and that must be fate/sign of destiny.
I acted like I didn't see sh!t, scrolled up and gave her phone back. I'm aware that being on a 3rd date means that she kinda like me, but this really comforted me and gave me a huge boost. I hope that we'll end up as a couple as I really like her.
- Hydreo
Art Critic
In my freshman year of high school, everyone put up art installments around the school for a project. Mine involved drawing these floating heads that I spent hours on though I was still really hesitant about putting it up because I didn't think it was good enough.
A few days later, I remember these older girls walked past it and one said that it scared her because she thought it was an actual person for a moment and the other said it was the best project in the school. As an insecure little pansy b*tch, that honestly gave me so much confidence and helped me feel a lot better about my art.
I was too shy to be like "Hey, that's me!" but this is something that's stuck with me for a while and makes me feel a little better from time to time.
- starsyph
All The Family He Needs
My best friends father, who was like my own father before he passed away recently. I had overheard him say "...he's a great man, way better than his dad. And if his dad can't see that then fuck him, he doesn't need him. We're all the family he needs." This was a man who wasn't opt to share his thoughts, or feelings, on the subject of my family, so it was nice to hear that I wasn't a burden to him and that he believed that my own father was a fool.
- Chrio
The Literature Assignment
I'm not sure if this counts, but I think it does. My literature class had an assignment to write a letter to someone who had affected our lives and what we wanted to say to them. We could have the letters given to them after the assignment if we wanted. After the assignment, the teacher gave me a letter from one of my friends that said how much he appreciated me as a friend and how I inspired him to have a good attitude about problems. I didn't know that anyone really even noticed or liked me at that point, and I almost cried.
Just Like Grandpa
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My parents lived with my family for a couple months, because to make a long story short, my dad got hurt at work and wouldn't be able to go back to work for at least several months.
I helped guide them through their financial situation, move out of their place into mine, and helped them make a new budget they had confidence in while my brothers and I fixed and cleaned their house for sale - all while working full time and having two kids.
My parents were a bit stressed out and very nervous, but happy someone (my brothers did quite a lot too, especially at their house, which is about 40 minutes away) could help take care of them.
Their temporary home was a big room right next to our kitchen. One day, they left the door to their room open and I overheard my mom say, "Of our three kids, they remind me most of my dad."
Which really hit me because my grandpa was a wonderfully generous person and a humble leader in every sense. He also became a self-taught engineer for a major Midwest pharmacy tech company. I named my son after him.
This 2 For 1 Compliment
In college, we were giving presentations in this one class and I gave my presentation last. After class I was in the back of a packed elevator and I overheard a girl from my class say to her friend "that last presentation was honestly pretty interesting" and her friend said "who's presentation? Oh, the one that the girl with the really good jawline gave?"
A good presentation AND a killer jawline?!? Still kind of coasting on that one a couple years later.
Princess
I was in the bathroom at the department store fixing my makeup and self. I had had a terrible day and as I was leaving, a little girl with her grandma saw me, and I overheard her say "wow that girl looks like a princess!!" Made my entire day :)
Ranting And Raving
I accidentally overheard someone describe my ranting as an orgasm for their brain.
It has been something I grab from my pocket in times of low self esteem. It felt so good to hear!!
A Christmas Angel
I was working retail and this very old lady came in. It was around Christmas time and she said that her daughter wanted a specific bracelet we sold. I asked her if she had a picture or knew what it looked like. She pulls out her flip phone and shows me a pixelated picture of a bracelet that I know we sold out of that morning. As I told her, she was heart broken. However, we can order items from our store on iPads and send it directly to her house.
As I pulled up the bracelet she wanted on the iPad, her face lit up. When I told her we can have it shipped to her house in 2 days, free shipping... she cried.
And to top it off we had a 40% off coupon that I applied to her order. As I told her she was good to go, she bawled and hugged me so tight. As she was leaving, still choked up she told her husband, who was in a wheelchair waiting for her at the entrance, that I was a Christmas angel.
I will never forget that. Sometimes you just need to give your time, attention and a little patience to make someone's Christmas!
"She's Actually Incredible"
When I was in high school, I was the lead in the school play. We were getting ready for the debut show that night, and I saw that I had a voicemail from my best friend. When I listened to it, I realized that she had just pocket dialed me by accident. I wasn't going to listen to it because it was just the sound of her driving with the radio on, but then I heard our other friend say "Is she actually good at acting? Have you seen her act before?" To which my friend replied "Oh my god, she's actually incredible. I've seen her do performances where I've honestly been brought to tears. Just wait until you see her. You will be blown away."
It just warmed my heart that I overheard a conversation that I was never supposed to hear, but it was my friend saying the most lovely and supportive things about me. I never forgot that.
For many childhood memories are overrun by living nightmares.
Yes, children are resilient, but that doesn't mean that the things we see as babes don't follow us forever.
The horrors of the world are no stranger to the young.
Redditor -2sweetcaramel- wanted to see who was willing to share about the worst things we've seen as kids, so they asked:
"What’s the creepiest thing you saw as a kid?"
Serious Danger
"Me and my best friend would explore the drainage tunnels under the Vegas area where we grew up. These were miles long and it was always really cool down there so it was a good way to escape the heat of our scorching hot summers. We went into this one that goes under the Fiesta casino and found a camp with a bunch of homeless people."
"Mind you we are like 11 years old lol. And we just kept going like it was nothing. It wasn’t scary then but when I look back at it we could have been in some serious danger. Our parents had no idea we did this or where we were and we had no cellphones. We could have been kidnapped and never have been found."
oofboof2020
Waiting for Food
"I was at a portillos once when I was 12 and I was waiting with my little brother at a booth while my parents got our food. This guy was standing with his tray kind of watching me then after a couple of minutes he started to walk over really fast not breaking eye contact with me."
"He was 2 feet from the table and my dad came out of nowhere and scared the s**t out of him. He looked so surprised and just said he wanted to see if I’d get scared or not. He left his tray full of food near the door and left. My folks reported him but we never went to that location again since we found a better one closer to home."
nowhereboy1964
Captain Hobo to the Rescue
"When I was a pretty young teen, my friends and I were horsing around in San Francisco and started hanging out to smoke with some homeless guys. Another homeless dude came up and began aggressively trying to shake us down for anything (money, smokes, a ride, drugs- all of it) and wouldn’t take no for an answer."
"We got in over our heads and could tell this guy was now riling the other 2 guys up and they were acting like they wanted to jump us. Some grandfather-looking old homeless man appeared out of nowhere and yelled at us to get the f**k out of here- nice kids like us don’t belong down here at this hour!!"
"Captain Hobo saved our lives that night. My parents sincerely thought we were at a mall all day lol."
FartAttack911
Survival
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"I was 7 and survived the 2004 tsunami in Thailand. Witnessed the wave rise way above the already massive palm trees (approx. 40ft?) and my family and I watched/heard the wave crash into the ground from a rooftop."
faithfulpoo
These Tsunami stories are just tragic.
On the Sand
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"We were a group of kids who went to swim in a local lake. And there was a dead body on the beach with their hands raised and their legs bent unnaturally that local police just took out of the same lake. I've never put my foot in these waters again."
oyloff
Be Clever
"I was walking to school and I was about 5 or 6 years old and some guy pulled up beside me in his car and asked if I would get in. He also offered me sweets to do so. I said no. The creepy bit was when he calmly said ‘clever boy’ to me, then drove off. I’ve never even told my parents or anyone else about this as it would most likely freak them out."
OstneyPiz
Bad Jokes
"Dad's side of the family pranked me by burying a fake body on our back property and had me dig it up to find valuables. Was only allowed to use a lantern for light. They stuffed old clothes with chicken bones. Sheetrock mud where the head was... Random fake jewelry as the treasures... I was like maybe 10 or 11.. I remember digging up the boot first and started gagging because it became real at that point."
Alegan239
YOU
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"Woke up to find my little brother staring at me in the dark, asking, Are you really you?"
PrettyLola2004
Siblings can really be a bunch of creepers.
No one should talk to others in the dark though.
Not all pet owners have the same relationship with their pets.
While anyone who decides to become a pet owner, or pet parent as some say, love their pets equally, some never ever let them leave their side.
Taking their pet with them to work, running errands, even on vacations.
Many pet parents even allow their pets to share their bed with them when going to sleep.
For others though, this is where a line is finally drawn.
Redditor Piggythelavasurfer was curious to hear whether pet owners allowed their pets to share their bed with them, as well as the reasons why they do/don't, leading them to ask:
"Do you let your pet sleep in your bed? Why/why not?"
The Tiny Issue Of Water...
"Absolutely not."
"I have fish."- Senior-Meal3649
Everyone Gets Lonely Eventually...
"I adopted an eleven year old cat the day before Halloween."
"She has mostly lived in my closet since I got her, and she hasn’t been too interested in coming out."
"Last night, she came out of my closet and jumped up on my bed, and crawled under my covers and curled up by my feet to sleep."
"I was so happy!"- YellowBeastJeep
The Comforting Reminder That You're Not Alone...
"I recently lost my Greyhound but I used to let him sleep on my bed with me."
"The company was nice and he was no trouble to have on my bed."- HoodedMenace3
Hungry Cookie GIF by De Graafschap Dierenartsen
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What Do You Mean Allow?
"I have no choice."
"She is a cat, cats do whatever they want."- Small_cat1412
"He lets me sleep in my bed."- Poorly-Drawn-Beagle
Wouldn't Have It Any Other Way
"I carry my old boy upstairs to bed every night."- worst_in_show
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Who Needs An Alarm Clock?
"I let my two cats sleep with me."
"They're so full of love and just want cuddles all the time."
"And so do I."
"We've all developed a lil routine."
"Get to bed, oldest sleeps on my feet to keep them warm, youngest lies in my arm while I lie on my side (she the little spoon), then when I snooze my alarm for work in the morning the youngest paws at my face and meeps loudly to wake me up."- GhostofaFlea_
Whose Bed Is It Anyway?
"Yes."
"They're also kind enough to let me squeeze into whatever space they've left for me."
"Although I do get a few dirty looks off them."- Therealkaylor
"I found this tiny kitten screaming her head off under a car."
"Would not come out."
"Got some food and some water in dishes."
"I stood by the tire so she couldn't see my feet."
"She got curious about the food and water and started gobbling it down."
"I thought she would bolt when I squatted down."
"She was too busy eating."
"I grabbed her by the nape of the neck and all four legs went straight out and she tried to scratch me to death."
"I got her in the door and tossed her toward the couch."
"She ricocheted off the couch as if she was a ping pong off a table and I lost sight of her."
"I put out food and water and a sandbox and did not see that kitten for three days."
"On the third day, I came home and she was on my bed pillow."
"I thought she would bolt when I came near, but she didn't."
"I wanted to sleep so I tried to scoot her little butt off my pillow."
"She would not go."
"I put my head down to sleep and that is the way it was from then on."
"She ran the roost."- Logical_Cherry_7588
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Sleeping Is A Prerequisite...
"No, he's a cat and he cannot keep still during the night."
"He walks across the headboard, opens the closet doors, jumps into the windows and rustles the blinds, etc."
"If he would sleep he could stay, but alas, he's a ramblin' man."- Spong_Durnflungle
Saying No Just Isn't An Option...
"'Let'."
"Lol."
"It's a cat's world and I'm happy to be on her good side."- milaren
Felines Only!
"The cat does, the dog doesn't and the horse certainly does not either."- Xcrowzz
Angry Tom And Jerry GIF by Boomerang Official
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Is That My Hair On That Pillow?
"My dog is perfect."
"She comes up, cuddles til we start to fall asleep, then gets down to sleep on her bed so she doesn't get too hot."
"Jumps back up in the early morning for wake up cuddles."
"The hair everywhere is the only downside but she is so cozy, what can you do."- HoodieWinchester
It is easy to understand how some people are able to fall asleep more easily knowing their friend and protector is there, in bed, with them.
Though we can't blame others who don't want to run the risk of being scratched or bitten in the middle of the night either...