Birthdays are meant to be a time of ebullience fun; that's what legend tells us. Celebrating another year around the sun is everyone's right. Some birthdays are epic bacchanals that leave a seared impression that are impossible to follow up and others... well others are seared for darker reasons that make you just want to pretend the idea of a birth celebration never existed. Happy birthday for whenever you read this....
Redditor u/Racing_in_the_street wanted everyone to rejoice and discuss the celebrations of themselves that went well and poorly by asking.....
What was your best/worst birthday?
50!!!!
April 25 was my 50th. Thought it would be the pretty crappy considering... my son's girlfriend baked me a beautiful cake, my son ordered us a magnificent seafood feast from a local place, my husband and mom had ordered some great gifts. I had no idea I was in for such a wonderful day! mommabearof01
No Bath.
GiphyWorst was a present from a really good friend of mine. It was from Lush and had really nice things for a bath. The thing is, I don't have a bathtub and I told her this and the only thing she said was: but it was expensive.
Sorry english is not my first language. Reddit
Different Days....
Best: 15th. me and a bunch of my friends went up to the beach and walked along it goofing around, playing in the water. we got lunch at a beach side restaurant and ice cream afterward
Worst: 9th. no one came. we were going to make homemade pizzas and do fireworks in the backyard. i sat on the swing set in the backyard and cried for hours. and I never had a birthday party again, really -- it was always inviting 2-3 close friends over and hanging out.
Now I really don't even have birthday celebrations at all. last year was my 21st so my sister took me out for a drink, but otherwise I don't do anything. I'm not sure most of my friends even know when my birthday is. baby_yaga
It was happy.
I was in a long-distance relationship and my birthday was approaching. My ex contacted my roommates and told them to rent out my favorite coffee shop for a night and surprise me there. It was happy.
Until I found out 2 days later that he cheated on me so we broke up. My roommates then proceeded to inform me my ex hasn't paid them for the party (aside from renting the shop we had cakes and all) and has just blocked them on all platforms of communication. Needless to say I paid for my own surprise party. biadelatrixyaska
The Beginning....
GiphyBest birthday was 1. And they've all gotten progressively worse since. RedditsBadGuy
7.....
Best was my 7th, it was the last time I really had a party for my birthday. I got a dirt bike and my friends came over, it's one of my happiest memories. Worst was my 17th, against everyone's advice and despite saying he wouldn't, my father went and bailed my sister out of jail the night before.
I woke up to my sister passed out on the couch and when my father finally got home from work and she woke up they spent the rest of the day fighting until she ran off again to keep doing meth just like I told him she would. Nobody even acknowledged that it was my birthday. They're both a lot better now thankfully but that one still hurts a little. Relevant_Assistant
The Hangover....
My worst birthdays were mostly from the ages of 8-12 - My siblings are all 10 years+ older than me, and one of my brothers's birthday is the day before mine.
So everybody would be drinking and partying during his birthday, even my mum - and then nobody would wake up on my birthday and be too hungover to do anything. :( happyseventyseven
G'Day....
GiphyNot mine, but I gave my husband his best birthday last year by taking him on a once-in-a-lifetime week-long vacation to Sydney, Australia, which had been a bucket list vacation for him for nearly his whole life. (I was only able to afford it because I had gotten a huge inheritance AND a huge bonus at my job recently.)
I got us a hotel right next to the Circular Quay with a rooftop swimming pool. We went up there one night just to watch the harbor and the city. The world-famous Sydney Opera House was beautifully lit up at night, and he was tearing up and getting emotional because of it. PianoManGidley
Good Times!!!
Worst was like 2017 or so? Didn't hear from anyone because my birthday on Facebook was unlisted. Can't expect anyone to remember it then apparently. Best was when I was maybe 10 and my mom made this huge survivor (the show) theme party for my friends and I. That was a good time. Kamon0253
The Mess....
All of my birthdays have been terrible. The worst by far was 2016, when I graduated undergrad. I invited everyone to a combined graduation/birthday party. Reserved half of a local restaurant to host the party, and no one showed up. It was just my boyfriend and I, and the staff watched me crumble into a sobbing mess.
They comped the meal, told me to forget the room reservation fee, and told me to order anything on the menu.
I was born on May 13, and the ones that fall on Fridays have been the absolute worst. bleuswann
Corona....
Giphy2020 was the perfect birthday for me.
It was during lockdown so I got to stay inside with my SO and do nothing all day, see no one and just do my own thing. SacredMug
"where do you want to go?"
My wife hates going to the movies so for my birthday one year she relented and took me to one I had been dying to see. This was all her idea and when she told me what we were doing I was super excited. As we are pulling up to the theater she starts guilting me with "do you REALLY want to go see this"? and guess what, we didn't. Two years ago she was going to cook my favorite meal for me but put it off until the last minute and so then made some crappy excuse about how she had plans to take me and the kids out for dinner.
We get all loaded up in the car and she says' "where do you want to go?" she had no plans. I was pissed but I picked a place but the wait was too long for her so we fought and I ended up eating a bowl of Chex for my birthday dinner. She will make elaborate plans for anyone and everyone else's birthday but when it comes to mine she uses it as an excuse to give me a big Screw You! Greatrnover
Ah 7....
GiphyBest was 7 years old. I remember my dad grilling and eating cake outside. Had an aunt and uncle show up and they gave me cash. Worst was 2 of them. In-laws had birthday parties for FIL which fell on my birthday (not his birthday). Had to drive 2 hours both ways to celebrate somebody else's bday. hdpeandpet
I had fun, but I don't remember it.
Best birthday was my 18th. My dad and I flew to NYC for my birthday to see Spamalot. When we checked in the hotel upgraded us to a two bedroom suite.
One of my favorites memories of my dad is from that trip. It was close to midnight and we were at the Virgin records store. I was running around and dad was ready to go. I was upstairs and Dad finally found me but he was on his way down the escalator.
So he turned around and ran up the down escalator. (No one on it at the time) He finally gets to the top and falls down. Right in front of a large Japanese tourist group. Who were quite obviously judging him.
The worst was first birthday after he passed. I had fun, but I don't remember it. In fact I don't remember much for a few months after he passed. lovelesschristine
I cried and cried....
My tenth birthday. We were having a pool party at my house for my birthday. My birthday is during the summer when we were out of school so not many people normally came to my birthday parties. That year I wanted all my friends there and I had remained in better contact with them after we got out for summer break. So I had about twelve friends coming for the party.
My mother was very abusive to me while I grew up. She got stressed out about the party and wanting everything to look nice. I didn't help her as much as she wanted so she sent me to my room. I wasn't allowed out of my room to see my friends. My mother told them to take my presents back home because I didn't deserve them. I didn't get to blow out the candles or have any cake.
Everyone thought it was cruel to keep me in my room for the party. My mother was adamant that I was being punished for misbehavior. I cried and cried knowing I was missing my birthday party. After the party was over I had to remain in my room. Later that evening she told me that my gift was not having to clean up after the party was over. skyscan1
Not so happy.
My worst birthday was when I turned 16 and my family let me choose the restaurant we ate at. They then made fun of me for what I ordered and took turns telling old embarrassing stories about me. Then while eating a close friend of my texted me that he's going to the hospital because he took a bunch of pills. vPaladin81
I still severely suffer from this experience.
GiphyMy brother died in a car accident, the 4th December in the night (~11pm). The next day I was waked up by cops at 2 am to ask me to confirm the identity of my dead brother . 2 days later my brother's girlfriend committed suicide (the day of my birthday). The funeral was only several days after the new year.
I still severely suffer from this experience. Chicano-
the 14th....
It was my 14th birthday and nobody in my family was around, my siblings were all out and my parents were on vacation, neither my family nor my friends called or texted me a happy birthday, I called up 2 girls (lets call them A & B) I was friends with (who also forgot it was my birthday) I asked them to a movie, so I walked about 3 miles and met up with them at a movie theater. I paid for all our tickets and I paid for all their food, so we got into the theater and Girl A's boyfriend was there with his friend who Girl B found attractive.
They all started a conversation to which I was left out of, during the movie they only paid attention to the 2 guys, about halfway through the movie I walked off, unnoticed (of course) and I began walking home, now broke and forgotten I got to experience a 3 mile walk home at 9pm in the pouring rain. IdellOdowd
Bye Auntie....
My 11th, not only did my Aunty die but I got my period. This birthday was especially bad because in my country when someone dies it's incredibly common to stay with your ENTIRE family (extended family and family friends) and spend the entire week with their deceased body. Let's just say little me was a bit to shy to ask FOR A LIL FEMALE HELP. the hormones and mood switches were driving me crazy. Swello-Fello
Throwing Cake..
GiphyThis might make sense but it was my best and worst birthday. It's my 14th birthday and I invited most of my friends, but only two came to the party. I blew out the candles and both of them threw cake at my face and we ended up throwing cake at each other and laughing and smiling. After that we jumped into a pond and cleaned off and we raced back and forth seeing who could go across the pond the fasted. I was very sad that only two of my friends came, but it was still a lot of fun because they made it better. kai__kai_
My 18th probably fits into both. Had probably my best birthday having a good time with both friends and family. Definitely became my worst when after my birthday dinner my parents broke up after 20 years of marriage. They are still separated. Slater-Slater
Oh Corona....
GiphyI think my best birthday was my 30th. Just a great party, loads of shots. A real good time.
My worst birthday just happened ~2 weeks back. My fiancee, myself and our toddler were all down for the count with coronavirus. Not much of a party :P at least we all recovered. Barl0we
Experiencing death is a fascinating and frightening idea.
Who doesn't want to know what is waiting for us on the other side?
But so many of us want to know and then come back and live a little longer.
It would be so great to be sure there is something else.
But the whole dying part is not that great, so we'll have to rely on other people's accounts.
Redditor AlaskaStiletto wanted to hear from everyone who has returned to life, so they asked:
"Redditors who have 'died' and come back to life, what did you see?"
Sensations
Happy Good Vibes GIF by Major League SoccerGiphy"My dad's heart stopped when he had a heart attack and he had to be brought back to life. He kept the paper copy of the heart monitor which shows he flatlined. He said he felt an overwhelming sensation of peace, like nothing he had felt before."
PeachesnPain
Recovery
"I had surgical complications in 2010 that caused a great deal of blood loss. As a result, I had extremely low blood pressure and could barely stay awake. I remember feeling like I was surrounded by loved ones who had passed. They were in a circle around me and I knew they were there to guide me onwards. I told them I was not ready to go because my kids needed me and I came back."
"My nurse later said she was afraid she’d find me dead every time she came into the room."
"It took months, and blood transfusions, but I recovered."
good_golly99
Take Me Back
"Overwhelming peace and happiness. A bright airy and floating feeling. I live a very stressful life. Imagine finding out the person you have had a crush on reveals they have the same feelings for you and then you win the lotto later that day - that was the feeling I had."
"I never feared death afterward and am relieved when I hear of people dying after suffering from an illness."
rayrayrayray
Free
The Light Minnie GIF by (G)I-DLEGiphy"I had a heart surgery with near-death experience, for me at least (well the possibility that those effects are caused by morphine is also there) I just saw black and nothing else but it was warm and I had such inner peace, its weird as I sometimes still think about it and wish this feeling of being so light and free again."
TooReDTooHigh
This is why I hate surgery.
You just never know.
Shocked
Giphy"More of a near-death experience. I was electrocuted. I felt like I was in a deep hole looking straight up in the sky. My life flashed before me. Felt sad for my family, but I had a deep sense of peace."
Admirable_Buyer6528
The SOB
"Nursing in the ICU, we’ve had people try to die on us many times during the years, some successfully. One guy stood out to me. His heart stopped. We called a code, are working on him, and suddenly he comes to. We hadn’t vented him yet, so he was able to talk, and he started screaming, 'Don’t let them take me, don’t let them take me, they are coming,' he was scared and yelling."
"Then he yelled a little more, as we tried to calm him down, he screamed, 'No, No,' and gestured towards the end of the bed, and died again. We didn’t get him back. It was seriously creepy. We called his son to tell him the news, and the son said basically, 'Good, he was an SOB.'”
1-cupcake-at-a-time
Colors
"My sister died and said it was extremely peaceful. She said it was very loud like a train station and lots of talking and she was stuck in this area that was like a curtain with lots of beautiful colors (colors that you don’t see in real life according to her) a man told her 'He was sorry, but she had to go back as it wasn’t her time.'"
Hannah_LL7
"I had a really similar experience except I was in an endless garden with flowers that were colors I had never seen before. It was quiet and peaceful and a woman in a dress looked at me, shook her head, and just said 'Not yet.' As I was coming back, it was extremely loud, like everyone in the world was trying to talk all at once. It was all very disorienting but it changed my perspective on life!"
huntokarrr
The Fog
"I was in a gray fog with a girl who looked a lot like a young version of my grandmother (who was still alive) but dressed like a pioneer in the 1800s she didn't say anything but kept pulling me towards an opening in the wall. I kept refusing to go because I was so tired."
"I finally got tired of her nagging and went and that's when I came to. I had bled out during a c-section and my heart could not beat without blood. They had to deliver the baby and sew up the bleeders. refill me with blood before they could restart my heart so, like, at least 12 minutes gone."
Fluffy-Hotel-5184
Through the Walls
"My spouse was dead for a couple of minutes one miserable night. She maintains that she saw nothing, but only heard people talking about her like through a wall. The only thing she remembers for absolute certain was begging an ER nurse that she didn't want to die."
"She's quite alive and well today."
Hot-Refrigerator6583
Well let's all be happy to be alive.
It seems to be all we have.
Trying to lose weight is a struggle understood by many people regardless of size.
The goal of reaching a healthy weight may seem unattainable, but with diet and exercise, it can pay off through persistence and discipline.
Seeing the pounds gradually drop off can also be a great motivator and incentivize people to stay the course.
Those who've achieved their respective weight goals shared their experiences when Redditor apprenti8455 asked:
"People who lost a lot of weight, what surprises you the most now?"
Redditors didn't see these coming.
Shiver Me Timbers
"I’m always cold now!"
– Telrom_1
"I had a coworker lose over 130 pounds five or six years ago. I’ve never seen him without a jacket on since."
– r7ndom
"140 lbs lost here starting just before COVID, I feel like that little old lady that's always cold, damn this top comment was on point lmao."
– mr_remy
Drawing Concern
"I lost 100 pounds over a year and a half but since I’m old(70’s) it seems few people comment on it because (I think) they think I’m wasting away from some terminal illness."
– dee-fondy
"Congrats on the weight loss! It’s honestly a real accomplishment 🙂"
"Working in oncology, I can never comment on someone’s weight loss unless I specifically know it was on purpose, regardless of their age. I think it kind of ruffles feathers at times, but like I don’t want to congratulate someone for having cancer or something. It’s a weird place to be in."
– LizardofDeath
Unleashing Insults
"I remember when I lost the first big chunk of weight (around 50 lbs) it was like it gave some people license to talk sh*t about the 'old' me. Old coworkers, friends, made a lot of not just negative, but harsh comments about what I used to look like. One person I met after the big loss saw a picture of me prior and said, 'Wow, we wouldn’t even be friends!'”
"It wasn’t extremely common, but I was a little alarmed by some of the attention. My weight has been up and down since then, but every time I gain a little it gets me a little down thinking about those things people said."
– alanamablamaspama
Not Everything Goes After Losing Weight
"The loose skin is a bit unexpected."
– KeltarCentauri
"I haven’t experienced it myself, but surgery to remove skin takes a long time to recover. Longer than bariatric surgery and usually isn’t covered by insurance unless you have both."
– KatMagic1977
"It definitely does take a long time to recover. My Dad dropped a little over 200 pounds a few years back and decided to go through with skin removal surgery to deal with the excess. His procedure was extensive, as in he had skin taken from just about every part of his body excluding his head, and he went through hell for weeks in recovery, and he was bedridden for a lot of it."
– Jaew96
These Redditors shared their pleasantly surprising experiences.
Shopping
"I can buy clothes in any store I want."
– WaySavvyD
"When I lost weight I was dying to go find cute, smaller clothes and I really struggled. As someone who had always been restricted to one or two stores that catered to plus-sized clothing, a full mall of shops with items in my size was daunting. Too many options and not enough knowledge of brands that were good vs cheap. I usually went home pretty frustrated."
– ganache98012
No More Symptoms
"Lost about 80 pounds in the past year and a half, biggest thing that I’ve noticed that I haven’t seen mentioned on here yet is my acid reflux and heartburn are basically gone. I used to be popping tums every couple hours and now they just sit in the medicine cabinet collecting dust."
– colleennicole93
Expanding Capabilities
"I'm all for not judging people by their appearance and I recognise that there are unhealthy, unachievable beauty standards, but one thing that is undeniable is that I can just do stuff now. Just stamina and flexibility alone are worth it, appearance is tertiary at best."
– Ramblonius
People Change Their Tune
"How much nicer people are to you."
"My feet weren't 'wide' they were 'fat.'"
– LiZZygsu
"Have to agree. Lost 220 lbs, people make eye contact and hold open doors and stuff"
"And on the foot thing, I also lost a full shoe size numerically and also wear regular width now 😅"
– awholedamngarden
It's gonna take some getting used to.
Bones Everywhere
"Having bones. Collarbones, wrist bones, knee bones, hip bones, ribs. I have so many bones sticking out everywhere and it’s weird as hell."
– Princess-Pancake-97
"I noticed the shadow of my ribs the other day and it threw me, there’s a whole skeleton in here."
– bekastrange
Knee Pillow
"Right?! And they’re so … pointy! Now I get why people sleep with pillows between their legs - the knee bones laying on top of each other (side sleeper here) is weird and jarring."
– snic2030
"I lost only 40 pounds within the last year or so. I’m struggling to relate to most of these comments as I feel like I just 'slimmed down' rather than dropped a ton. But wow, the pillow between the knees at night. YES! I can relate to this. I think a lot of my weight was in my thighs. I never needed to do this up until recently."
– Strongbad23
More Mobility
"I’ve lost 100 lbs since 2020. It’s a collection of little things that surprise me. For at least 10 years I couldn’t put on socks, or tie my shoes. I couldn’t bend over and pick something up. I couldn’t climb a ladder to fix something. Simple things like that I can do now that fascinate me."
"Edit: Some additional little things are sitting in a chair with arms, sitting in a booth in a restaurant, being able to shop in a normal store AND not needing to buy the biggest size there, being able to easily wipe my butt, and looking down and being able to see my penis."
– dma1965
People making significant changes, whether for mental or physical health, can surely find a newfound perspective on life.
But they can also discover different issues they never saw coming.
That being said, overcoming any challenge in life is laudable, especially if it leads to gaining confidence and ditching insecurities.