Top Stories

Regretful People Share The Letters They Never Sent, But Wish They Did

Regretful People Share The Letters They Never Sent, But Wish They Did

Regretful People Share The Letters They Never Sent, But Wish They Did

[rebelmouse-image 18349159 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

If you could turn back time, what would you do? And moreover, who would you talk to?

What are all the things you've left unsaid? Reddit has an entire forum dedicated to this: Unsent letters. Letters which people write from the future to something in their past, letters that they wish they could send....but cannot. Is it therapeutic? Is it tragic? We will let you decide.

Because I Have No Other Choice

[rebelmouse-image 18359296 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

I will say what I need to say here.

To My Best Friend: You are and always have been, my soul mate. My other half. My partner in crime. All of the most important memories I have of growing up include you. We hung out in the same group, but I knew you were special from the first smile you threw my way. It was a classic Hallmark moment. Teenage summer house party, I'm the new girl in town but having older "cool" cousins helped me make friends fast and I just happened to walk into that house, at that moment, and laid eyes on the most beautiful 17 year old boy that has ever walked this earth. In an instant, as if you already knew, you looked over, we locked eyes, and there it was...that insanely charming/sexy smile. I was hooked. You always dated those stunning girls, the flawless ones that were a picture perfect prom date on your arm. I had no idea how to deal with my crush on you and I didn't understand how to cope with my own budding sexuality.

Naturally I did the only thing I could. I dated your best friend. I knew he loved me and I knew it would never last between us, but I could also tell that while you and I enjoyed a small friendship, it wasn't one that would last through graduations, colleges, out of state moves.... I knew that by dating him, I would still be able to see you from time to time. Our relationship wasn't as calculated as it appears right now, but in retrospect, I say call a spade, a spade. I ended it after 5 years. It forced me to grow up. I learned how to be on my own and figured out who I was during that time. I needed that. After high school and college ended, I didn't know who I was turning into and wanted to find out who I was.

Our friendship grew during that relationship. You became someone I depended on, who I turned to for advice, and my safe place for a weekend out of town. We became so close that you would tell me about the jealous things your girlfriends would say about me. We'd laugh at how silly they were being, but each one of them was right. I still hoped that one day you'd wake up and see me in the same light as you did them. I loved our friendship during our 20s. You were the stunningly beautiful best friend from the beach that would come into town and make all of my girl friends googly eyed for weeks! Our lives were much less complicated then and we still have forever laid out in front of us. We shared everything on those late night phone conversations/text messages... Dreams of the future, fears, goals, set backs. I like to think that we learned more about who we were by those conversations. We lived four hours apart, but I would make that drive on any given Friday night knowing that by sunrise you and I would be snuggled up on blanket together, silently watching the new day's sun rise over the ocean. I fell in love with you on those mornings. I fall deeper in love with you now as I remember them. The years went on. We grew into adults, dating became serious and we had things like 401k's, car payments, mortgages. We saw each other less, but I still loved you so much.

And then, I met him. The one you always hated. You teased me when he and I first starting dating. He was my total opposite. He drove a wedge between us and our friendship became distant. But you were still there for me. You stayed up with me the night before our wedding, begging me to say no. You used every trick in the book to try to talk me out of it. When none of those worked and the following day I said my final "I do.." I cried when he kissed me because I knew then how much I really wanted you. I walked down that aisle, new husband in tow, and faced my entire world (family & friends) with "happy tears" streaming down my cheeks from the sudden realization of what I had done. The entire reception and for weeks after I wrestled with the weight of my decision to marry him. I knew I had to let go of my crush on you, this intense love I felt for you, and full heartedly commit myself to the man you tried to talk me out of marrying.

After almost 15 years of silently loving you, I was angry that you hadn't noticed. I wanted to feel wanted. I needed someone to love me and I wanted to be able to express my love for someone. Our friendship (something I would have bet my life on as always being solid and strong) grew apart further. We talked once or twice a year. I always sent you cards and presents for your birthday and Christmas. I turned into the cliché we always joked about. I had let you go and I was dealing with too much in this marriage to try to keep up with your play-boy, life of the party ways. I tried so hard to make my husband happy. I strived to be good enough for him every single day and most nights I cried myself to sleep after taking a verbal whipping from the man I gave you up for. When I got pregnant, I thought it's just what happens and went with it. I thought my son could bridge the gap between my husband and I. I lost who I was in that marriage. He destroyed that girl I used to be. The night he almost killed me, your number was the only one I could dial. I never told you what happened, but I could feel you wrap your arms around me as I cried into the phone. Most people would have called the police in a situation like that. Or perhaps their parents or close family member. I could have done any of those. Instead, I reached out to the man I could never have, the one that I pushed away, the one that stole my heart, who still lived 6 hours away. You showed up on my doorstep the next morning. I was black and blue, inside and out, from the hands of the unwanted husband who was still passed out drunk on the living floor. You packed my suitcases and my infant son's. You took us to my parents house. You stayed with me for two weeks, drove me to doctor appointments, paid the initial fees that hired my attorney, you walked my son around my childhood home for 3 hours in the middle of the night while he cried from teething. Your smile was the only positive energy I felt at that time. It didn't take long for my feelings to come back with full force and a vengeance. I never stopped loving you, if I'm being honest. But my heart couldn't help itself. You rescued me from an abusive marriage that would have certainly killed me.

Months after the divorce, I knew my heart belonged to you. I packed everything I owed into the back of that beat up truck, strapped my barefoot drooling boy in his car seat and made the move I had been afraid of for most of my life. I drove straight to your small beach town. And you welcomed me with open arms. You babysat long nights for me so I could make overtime and pay my bills on my own. You laughed at my attempts to fix my own dishwasher. You gave my son his first haircut and learned how to curb that sailors tongue you always had. Our visits became daily... and on the nights I woke up terrified and screaming because nightmares from the past were too real you would come over just to hold me until I could fall back asleep. You watched me regain my inner strength and let me find my own way back to who I am. It's years later now. I'm sitting on our back porch at the moment. My sweet baby boy is waiting on you to come home from work. He's developed another new paper airplane and the moment you walk in the door he's gonna jump out from behind the sofa dressed in the Batman pajamas you surprised him with last weekend for his first over night stay at a friends house. He looks so much like my ex, but the way he says his words, the sweet soft innocence that lives in his eyes, and that same heart melting smile he's mastered so well tells me that my boy belongs to you.

He's only ever called you Daddy. I could never express how grateful I am to have you. I could never begin to form the words that would accurately describe how insane and intense my love is for you still. We still go to our special spot on the beach, where we watched those sunrises. It's where you told me that you were falling in love with me. Its where my son became your son and called you Daddy for the first time. It's our spot, a sandy flat patch of earth between the large dunes that face the east. Tomorrow morning when we take our blankets, kid, and dog out there to greet the day, it'll be the spot where I tell you that I'm carrying your child.

Dear Unborn Child

[rebelmouse-image 18359297 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

I'm sorry that I haven't shown much excitement towards you the past 3 weeks now since i found out I was pregnant. With 2 miscarriages and an infant loss behind me, daddy and I are just being extra cautious. We love you with all our hearts and although you were unexpected, you are very loved by everyone. See what you don't know yet, and will learn as you get older is you have an amazing older brother looking over you in heaven. Daddy and I love you tremendously, but I know your older brother loves you even more! Oh, and those loud sounds you hear randomly throughout the day followed by "shut up" that's your dog siblings! They also will love you a whole lot and will give you lots of kisses when you get here (although the youngest one will probably be jealous at first cuz mommy treats him like a baby) they're going to protect you. Let's be honest, you'll more be their baby then ours. We love you, little one! And we're so excited to meet you.

Please Just Come Back

[rebelmouse-image 18345182 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

I miss you. Tell me you're ready to work things out. Tell me you still want to be with me.

To The Man About To Leave

[rebelmouse-image 18359299 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

To the man who taught me how to paint, I'm sorry that you can no longer hold a paint brush.

To the man who taught me how to cook, I'm sorry that you can no longer keep the food down.

To the man who taught me how to swim, I'm sorry that you've closed your pool and will never go in one again.

To the man who taught me every magic trick, I'm sorry that you don't believe in magic anymore.

To the man who took me to the movies every month, I'm sorry that you cannot stay awake long enough to watch one.

To the man who encouraged me to sing, I'm sorry that when you speak, no sound comes out.

To the man who showed me so much love, I'm sorry that your heart is finished beating.

not who you wanted me to be

[rebelmouse-image 18359301 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

To my parents.

I'm sorry that I'm not who you wanted me to be. Since I was an infant, I know you had specific dreams for me, and who I would be. I know you dreamed I would love hunting and embrace your country roots; I didn't. I know you dreamed I would marry a white southern man, one who had deer on his walls and drove a pumped up truck..one who voted for trump. I know you dreamed I would follow in your footsteps and move back to our small hometown, just alike all my aunts, uncles and cousins have. I'm sorry you are disappointed that I love diversity and fighting racism, even when it's found in my family. I'm sorry you are disappointed I think the liberals have great points, and think in many ways, some of their ideas are more Christian than not. Im sorry you are I don't share your love for the president and that I somewhat find him a despicable man. I'm sorry you are disappointed that I'm dating a black man.

But, I have been working on myself and I'm really proud of who I've become. I'm level headed, I'm determined and I'm a fighter for what matters to me. I'm sorry you are disappointed with who I've become, but I am really proud of me.

I hope one day you both can accept and love me.

B

Sent

[rebelmouse-image 18356086 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

If you keep stalking me like this, you're going to get your feelings hurt. You need to accept that you f-cked up. What once should have been your entire world is no longer your concern.

Be good. Go be happy.

You Could Have Been Mine

[rebelmouse-image 18359302 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

My lovely P Rose,

Knowing the outcome I would still choose this path but it's kind of sh-tty.

You could have been mine. I'm done being hopelessly IN love with you. I have moved on to just loving you.

Miss those eyes and smile of yours. Hope your day is going well.

As long as your happy, Love Always.

My Truest Friend

[rebelmouse-image 18352271 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

You were the only person I ever felt I could be myself around, truly and completely myself. I didn't have to pretend to be happy or pretend to enjoy things just to have something to talk about. We didn't even have to talk we could sit there and listen to music. I never got tired of all the new music you would show me or laying in that park. I miss being able to talk to you without feeling like a burden. I miss being able to see you and feel like I'm home. You gave me a sense of comfort and made me feel at ease with myself and with the overwhelming world you quieted all that noise. I felt so free with myself and just with life. I could always come to you even if my thoughts were irrational and crazy you were there and you never made me feel like I was less. Even if you didn't understand you never made me feel different. I tried my best to be that person for you too. I miss you and all that you are.

The Sweetest Life

[rebelmouse-image 18359303 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

Can we just be together again? We could move away together, next week, tomorrow, even tonight. I think I would forget about the last few years without you as fast as falling asleep. Run away with me. Let's not even say goodbye to the lives we are living. I don't want to wait until our next life to be with you, soul. I want to be with you now. Say yes.

Maybe In Another Life

[rebelmouse-image 18352188 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

I don't ever want to forget how it felt to hug you goodbye that last time. I could just feel everything in it that we've never said to each other. It was the way you looked at me and then stepped toward me with your arms outstretched. I said something dumb that made you laugh, squeeze me tighter, and keep holding on. We spoke softly of promises to keep in touch. You said you wished we had more time together because you wanted to really know me. I told you how much I'm going to miss you. I could feel your hands try to grasp just a little tighter near my lower back. When I finally had to pull away, my hand slid down your arm and I could hardly even look at you but I did and I said goodbye. I wanted to kiss you but I couldn't and you couldn't and we knew it, so I turned around and I walked away.

I do hope I see you again. I don't know what it will be like or how we will feel, but I'll always know how I felt in this moment. So many things still left unsaid for so many complicated reasons, but I felt all of them then and I know you did too. I'll hold onto that.

To my best friend

[rebelmouse-image 18359304 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

Sh-t is so hard right now, and I'm struggling to find myself. I know that I want you, but I'm so heartbroken that I can't find those feelings anymore.

I've never felt so strongly about anyone in my life, and in the past it was so easy to know exactly who I wanted.

I just hope we stay friends because if I lose you, I'm f-cking done for.

Love, ur pal x

To the girl with the purple hair

[rebelmouse-image 18359305 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

I dont know what your name is but for the past few years you have always smiled at me when I order a coffee and said, "and by the way, I love your hair." It was like clock work. I would smile and give a quiet nod.

I hadn't seen you in nearly a year until I came back to order a coffee, I barely recognized you, and then I realized, "Oh hey, it's the girl with the purple hair who always compliments my hair!"

Lately your smile has faded and your classic way of asking for a signature has turned into you telling me to have a good day. It seems as though the life has faded from you. To be honest I've always thought you were pretty cute and would like to ask you out but I seem to be at a loss for words as of late.

I'm sorry if you have mistaken my silence for me not caring but I sincerely love everytime you have complimented me. It is truly rare to find someone else who appreciates my long hair.

Sincerely,

That guy with the long hair.

To You

[rebelmouse-image 18359306 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

I think that you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen in my life. I always look at you when you're not looking and I break into the biggest smile just because of how unbelievably lovely and gentle you look. You have the most welcoming eyes and heartwarming smile and your laugh gives me butterflies in my stomach of quantities which I can't even begin to measure. A lot of people may think that these feelings have come along rather quickly for me, but I honestly know that they've slowly been building up from the first time we spoke. Every little cute song I listen to now has made me think of you and I just have been listening to them on repeat ever since we started talking. Despite how sad and drained I can get sometimes, hearing your adorable voice always reminds me that there are still good things left in this world. You have made getting out of bed in the mornings a lot less of a difficult task as even the thought of you makes me realise that there is a purpose to all of this. When we hug, I feel so warm and gooey inside and it feels as though there is nothing else in this world that matters as much as we do. I'm usually petrified of commitment, but the thought of us being together brings me so much joy and I just feel so lucky that I have the chance to spend time with you. My only concern is the fact that my parents can be kind of homophobic at times and I don't know what they'll think when they first hear that their daughter has a girlfriend, but I know that once they meet you, they'll agree with me that you are the most wonderful person and there is nobody better for me than you. I've honestly never met somebody so close to perfect before in my entire life. I hope that I can make you even half as happy as you make me. I am so glad I met you.

To My Brother

[rebelmouse-image 18359307 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

All my life, I have resented you a little bit. Your Downs Syndrome and autism combination meant that you required a lot of attention from our mom, our dad, me, and our brother. And you don't give much back. You are non-verbal and you don't like to be touched and you don't like to share your space. You used to try to push me out of the backseat of the car and our parents had to start buying vans with captain's chairs so we could get through a car ride in peace. You make repetitive noises that drive me up the wall. I don't mind your sudden bellows so much. It is the teeth grinding and gulping. You would break my stuff when we were kids and I would get in trouble for it. You would steal food from other people's plates and open your mouth, throw your head back, and cough all over the dinner on the table. You were so annoying.

Despite all of this, I was able to connect with you through music. You always responded well when I played the piano and sang, especially when I played your favorite songs. When my mom was trying to cut your hair, she would ask me to play to help you relax. I always joked that you were my number one fan.

When you reached adulthood and moved into a group home, I saw you less. I was at college and living my own life. I know things got kind of bad for you and I wasn't there to play music for you. I am sorry for that. You developed some aggressive tendencies and were clearly in defensive mode. I pushed to have you moved to a group home in the state I live in because our state takes better care of it's disabled than most. For several years, it was just me and you living in this state with our other relatives scattered across the country. I visited regularly to ensure that you were okay. I put on music to listen to, got out your toys and sat with you for awhile. I told you about what was happening with the rest of the family because I think you understand more than we know. Every time I would visit, though, you would grab my shirt collar and scratch my neck or throat until it bled. I started wearing turtle necks to visit you and keeping a safe physical distance. I haven't hugged you in years and I can't remember the last time I was able to relax in your presence. Still, I am sorry that I didn't visit more often. You needed me and I was busy with my job and my children. But, I think the main reason I stayed away was that our visits made me anxious and uncomfortable.

Our parents live in this state now and they have taken over the visits. I know I don't come to see you much anymore. I am sorry. It is just my life has been so hard the last couple of years. I have had so many demands and so much stress and anxiety that I started neglecting some things in my life just to stay afloat. You were one of those things and I feel terrible about that.

I want you to know, though, that I love you. You are my brother and I have always fought to protect you. I stood up to the bullies when we were kids and I fought for you with social workers and house staff as an adult. I will continue to do anything to ensure that you receive the best care possible. I am a fierce advocate. When our parents are gone, I will continue to fight for you. Even if I can't give you the comfort that our parents give with their physical presence, you can trust me to look out for your interests.

I wish I could give more, to be the person you are glad to see walking through your door. I am sorry that we don't have that kind of relationship. But I can promise to always play music for you. And maybe someday, you will allow me to hug you again.

To the man I'm trying to leave behind

[rebelmouse-image 18359308 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

You.

I wish you would leave me alone. Then maybe I could stop hurting.

I spend car rides thinking of all of the things I wish I could say to you.

You asked me, "That's it? You're just gonna give up?" Give up. Like I hadn't turned into a ghost clinging to the broken scraps of an unfaithful relationship. Like I was turning my back on something you still cared about.

I wish I hated you. It's been a year and a half and you still text me. You still tell me about her: that woman you left me for. Apparently, you're split for good this time. You told me you stayed with her so that losing me wouldn't have been for nothing.

You told me your grandpa cried when you told him we broke up. You told me your mom still misses me. You still text my sister. You two were friends. You just texted me telling me you're meeting today. I hope she spits on you.

I wish I hated you. I wish I could be mean to you. I wish I could tell you to leave me the hell alone. I don't love you. But I wish I hated you.

You told me, "I could never want anyone else." You told me, "No one else compares to you." You told me I was enough. You told me I was everything.

I love someone else now. Someone who tells me those same things. I don't believe him. I wish I believed him.

You ruined me.

I wish I hated you.

To the answer of my prayers

[rebelmouse-image 18359309 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

Love, it's been a tough ride. We've been together now for about a year and two months. Believe me when I say, I am beyond blessed to have you in my life. Believe me when I say, I don't know what I've done in my past life to deserve you in this lifetime. Believe me when I say, I love you so much.

How I wish we can have more time together---a forever if God permits. But I don't really think that is possible for us now.

We are on the verge of falling apart. We are at a crossroad---oh how I hate these crossroads. A day will come we would have to decide on which on road to take. Although, I feel in me that you are taking the road away from me, there is a tiny part in me clinging on to the hope that you will choose to be with me in this roller coaster of life.

I hate to admit that when the time comes that you would decide for us to go on separate ways, I do not have much choice but to let you be. I love you. God knows how much I love you. But if in setting you free makes you happier, I would do so.

Just as what I have promised to you, I'll always be here for you. Just a message away. I love you and farewell. Til we meet again, my love.

PS. When the time comes, break it to me gently

I Opened The Box

[rebelmouse-image 18359310 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

I'm still drunk. I started drinking with my friends. We talked about relationships and all that. After I got home from work of course. I opened the box. I had been wanting to for the past week. Since I saw you in my dream. We were both furious at each other. I opened the box. They said high school relationships don't mean anything at this point. To some degree I believe them. To some degree I believe I am stupid for willing to wait for you to come back even though I am the one that set on this path of separation from each other. I don't know why I'm so willing to wait even though I know you aren't coming back. I know you aren't thinking of me. I know it's really over but even after a year I can't let go. I just want to be free from this. I want to fall in love with someone else and be able to have with them what you would never want for us to have. What was so wrong with me? What is so wrong with me? If I thought about it for too long I'd probably die. But whatever, go after whatever you want. I know it isn't me.

You're still perfect, J, in all your imperfections.

[rebelmouse-image 18359311 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

A few months ago on a morning like this, you were sitting across my lap, and I didn't want to let go. I missed you before you even left.

I thought you'd be the one but then you said I was too much, I was, you were right. Then things got uglier and worse.

I lost you. For a little while but you still seem so drawn to me and I still feel a hole in my heart where I miss you every single day.

I meant it when we exchanged I love yous back then and if you said it now, I'd mean it again. I love you J and I could never hate you. I believe you when you say you couldn't hate me either. I just wish you could love me.

To the girl who I'm finally free of

[rebelmouse-image 18346571 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

This is my third letter to you that I've posted here, and it will be the last. The only reason I'm not sending it is because you don't deserve any explanation or reason. I've finally uprooted you from my life. I've blocked you from nearly every possible avenue of contact. I've destroyed every relic of you that I kept. I've reached the point where I move on and leave you in my past to rot.

I know you'll play the victim, as you always do. In fact, I hope that's exactly what you do. I'd revel in the idea that you gag at the sight of me, that you feel bitterness take over when you hear my name. I hope it poisons your happy memories with me. I pray that you'll put all the blame on me and let it stew until you realize that all of this was your fault.

You treated me like I was worthless to you. You acted like being around me was a chore, or an obligation. You exploited my greatest fears and weaknesses and broke my trust again and again until I was paranoid and afraid. You lied to me about the things that were most important to me. You accused me of threatening you. You accused me of abusing you. You ripped the rug out from under me and then blamed me for standing on it in the first place.

I came crawling back to you time and again, hoping that you might see how much you were hurting me. I gave you the benefit of the doubt. I always took your perspective into account and never shamed you for the way you felt.

And for all my effort and compassion, you threw my love in the trash like a sack of garbage.

But you didn't stop there, oh no. You told me I wasn't trying hard enough. You said I wasn't good enough. You said that "people like me would be better off alone forever". F-ck you for that, by the way.

I gave you so many chances. I gave you time, hoping that you might come around and see how harmful and crushing you have been to me. But you wouldn't apologize for a single thing. Not once, did you ever express guilt, or even recognize that you had been such a horrible person in any way. That's it; that's the last straw for me. I draw the line now. You had so many chances to apologize for even one small thing, but you still decided to waste them, and blame me anyway.

I honestly feel so relieved right now. Your manipulation and gaslighting are gone, and I'm free to be as happy as I possibly can. I let you hold me down for so long, but not a minute more. I am finished.

Elizabeth, you will never be a part of my life again.

I hope you choke.

Email I wish I sent my superior who was rude to me despite me taking on extra work

[rebelmouse-image 18359312 is_animated_gif= dam=1 expand=1]

I wish I could've replied and copied the other couple hundred people in my office:

"Listen b-tch, I wanted to check my schedule before I committed to anything precisely in the interest of not wasting your time. Don't ever f___ing talk to me or anyone like that again. If you're having a bad day, that's unfortunate, but you can't talk to me like that especially after last week when you reprimanded a colleague for talking down to her colleagues because she had a bad day.

Consider this my resignation. You and others in your position have no idea how dissatisfied people are, and you don't care. F-ck you all"

People Reveal The Weirdest Thing About Themselves

Reddit user Isitjustmedownhere asked: 'Give an example; how weird are you really?'

Let's get one thing straight: no one is normal. We're all weird in our own ways, and that is actually normal.

Of course, that doesn't mean we don't all have that one strange trait or quirk that outweighs all the other weirdness we possess.

For me, it's the fact that I'm almost 30 years old, and I still have an imaginary friend. Her name is Sarah, she has red hair and green eyes, and I strongly believe that, since I lived in India when I created her and there were no actual people with red hair around, she was based on Daphne Blake from Scooby-Doo.

I also didn't know the name Sarah when I created her, so that came later. I know she's not really there, hence the term 'imaginary friend,' but she's kind of always been around. We all have conversations in our heads; mine are with Sarah. She keeps me on task and efficient.

My mom thinks I'm crazy that I still have an imaginary friend, and writing about her like this makes me think I may actually be crazy, but I don't mind. As I said, we're all weird, and we all have that one trait that outweighs all the other weirdness.

Redditors know this all too well and are eager to share their weird traits.

It all started when Redditor Isitjustmedownhere asked:

"Give an example; how weird are you really?"

Monsters Under My Bed

"My bed doesn't touch any wall."

"Edit: I guess i should clarify im not rich."

– Practical_Eye_3600

"Gosh the monsters can get you from any angle then."

– bikergirlr7

"At first I thought this was a flex on how big your bedroom is, but then I realized you're just a psycho 😁"

– zenOFiniquity8

Can You See Why?

"I bought one of those super-powerful fans to dry a basement carpet. Afterwards, I realized that it can point straight up and that it would be amazing to use on myself post-shower. Now I squeegee my body with my hands, step out of the shower and get blasted by a wide jet of room-temp air. I barely use my towel at all. Wife thinks I'm weird."

– KingBooRadley

Remember

"In 1990 when I was 8 years old and bored on a field trip, I saw a black Oldsmobile Cutlass driving down the street on a hot day to where you could see that mirage like distortion from the heat on the road. I took a “snapshot” by blinking my eyes and told myself “I wonder how long I can remember this image” ….well."

– AquamarineCheetah

"Even before smartphones, I always take "snapshots" by blinking my eyes hoping I'll remember every detail so I can draw it when I get home. Unfortunately, I may have taken so much snapshots that I can no longer remember every detail I want to draw."

"Makes me think my "memory is full.""

– Reasonable-Pirate902

Same, Same

"I have eaten the same lunch every day for the past 4 years and I'm not bored yet."

– OhhGoood

"How f**king big was this lunch when you started?"

– notmyrealnam3

Not Sure Who Was Weirder

"Had a line cook that worked for us for 6 months never said much. My sous chef once told him with no context, "Baw wit da baw daw bang daw bang diggy diggy." The guy smiled, left, and never came back."

– Frostygrunt

Imagination

"I pace around my house for hours listening to music imagining that I have done all the things I simply lack the brain capacity to do, or in some really bizarre scenarios, I can really get immersed in these imaginations sometimes I don't know if this is some form of schizophrenia or what."

– RandomSharinganUser

"I do the same exact thing, sometimes for hours. When I was young it would be a ridiculous amount of time and many years later it’s sort of trickled off into almost nothing (almost). It’s weird but I just thought it’s how my brain processes sh*t."

– Kolkeia

If Only

"Even as an adult I still think that if you are in a car that goes over a cliff; and right as you are about to hit the ground if you jump up you can avoid the damage and will land safely. I know I'm wrong. You shut up. I'm not crying."

– ShotCompetition2593

Pet Food

"As a kid I would snack on my dog's Milkbones."

– drummerskillit

"Haha, I have a clear memory of myself doing this as well. I was around 3 y/o. Needless to say no one was supervising me."

– Isitjustmedownhere

"When I was younger, one of my responsibilities was to feed the pet fish every day. Instead, I would hide under the futon in the spare bedroom and eat the fish food."

– -GateKeep-

My Favorite Subject

"I'm autistic and have always had a thing for insects. My neurotypical best friend and I used to hang out at this local bar to talk to girls, back in the late 90s. One time he claimed that my tendency to circle conversations back to insects was hurting my game. The next time we went to that bar (with a few other friends), he turned and said sternly "No talking about bugs. Or space, or statistics or other bullsh*t but mainly no bugs." I felt like he was losing his mind over nothing."

"It was summer, the bar had its windows open. Our group hit it off with a group of young ladies, We were all chatting and having a good time. I was talking to one of these girls, my buddy was behind her facing away from me talking to a few other people."

"A cloudless sulphur flies in and lands on little thing that holds coasters."

"Cue Jordan Peele sweating gif."

"The girl notices my tension, and asks if I am looking at the leaf. "Actually, that's a lepidoptera called..." I looked at the back of my friend's head, he wasn't looking, "I mean a butterfly..." I poked it and it spread its wings the girl says "oh that's a BUG?!" and I still remember my friend turning around slowly to look at me with chastisement. The ONE thing he told me not to do."

"I was 21, and was completely not aware that I already had a rep for being an oddball. It got worse from there."

– Phormicidae

*Teeth Chatter*

"I bite ice cream sometimes."

RedditbOiiiiiiiiii

"That's how I am with popsicles. My wife shudders every single time."

monobarreller

Never Speak Of This

"I put ice in my milk."

– GTFOakaFOD

"You should keep that kind of thing to yourself. Even when asked."

– We-R-Doomed

"There's some disturbing sh*t in this thread, but this one takes the cake."

– RatonaMuffin

More Than Super Hearing

"I can hear the television while it's on mute."

– Tira13e

"What does it say to you, child?"

– Mama_Skip

Yikes!

"I put mustard on my omelettes."

– Deleted User

"Oh."

– NotCrustOr-filling

Evened Up

"Whenever I say a word and feel like I used a half of my mouth more than the other half, I have to even it out by saying the word again using the other half of my mouth more. If I don't do it correctly, that can go on forever until I feel it's ok."

"I do it silently so I don't creep people out."

– LesPaltaX

"That sounds like a symptom of OCD (I have it myself). Some people with OCD feel like certain actions have to be balanced (like counting or making sure physical movements are even). You should find a therapist who specializes in OCD, because they can help you."

– MoonlightKayla

I totally have the same need for things to be balanced! Guess I'm weird and a little OCD!

Close up face of a woman in bed, staring into the camera
Photo by Jen Theodore

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.

Man's waist line
Santhosh Vaithiyanathan/Unsplash

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.