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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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

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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"

The Weirdest Animal Facts People Know

Reddit user FunChemical3182 asked: 'What is the weirdest animal fact you know?'

platypus
Michael Jerrard on Unsplash

People accumulate facts throughout life on a wide variety of subjects.

Some are mundane while others are weird, wild or wonderful.

One subject a lot of people focus on is animals. Most people have a favorite animal that fascinates them that they want to know all about.

Keep reading...Show less

Content Warning: Mental Health, Suicide, Domestic Violence

We all know that we technically can't make anyone else do anything, and we certainly can't "fix" other people. Other people will only change or do something if they choose to; the only person we can really control is ourselves.

But some people really love to try, often to hilarious and terrible results.

Already cringing, Redditor Dapper_Algae6280 asked:

"People who entered a relationship thinking 'I can fix them,' how did that go?"

Time for an Upgrade

"There is a weird thing that happens when you 'fix' someone. They tend to think if you liked them broken, then they deserve better than you now that they are better than they were."

- TheRealLifePotato

"As horrible as it sounds, to have a happy, emotionally healthy relationship you need two happy, emotionally healthy people. If you want to be in that sort of relationship, you need to fix yourself first."

- inactiveuser247

"This right here. After three sh*tty relationships in a row, I realized this is a me problem. I took a few years off from dating to reflect and really learn to see red flags and understand myself so I wouldn't make that mistake again."

- MikoSkyns

No More Spark

"My now ex had PTSD, depression, and a variety of other issues she claimed. After two and a half years of dating (being my first and only relationship), she became more social, less suicidal, and overall happier as a person."

"She decided to cheat on me with someone else due to 'lack of communication' and us 'no longer having a spark". The irony."

"For context, we were 17 at the time, in high school, and I worked full-time hours with initiatives to hang out, which were refused. Red flags everywhere."

- elteragxo

"Your situation is eerily similar to mine, what the f**k?"

"I met a girl with mental and emotional issues and decided to fix them through a healthy relationship. She recovered and found someone else because 'the spark was gone.'"

- Aimlessdrifter8778

Misery Loves Company

"Now we are both broken."

- Brave-Butterscotch76

"The same thing happened to my sister-in-law. She married a very negative and miserable guy while saying 'he will get better' or 'we’re working on it,' and now she’s a very negative and miserable person."

- Moreofyoulessofme

Getting to Watch a Partner Grow

"At first we were only f**king. I don't know if I ever thought I could fix her, but I did fall in love with this beautiful lady with severe anxiety, depression, and trust issues after being in a domestically violent relationship."

"We were f**k buddies for about six months and I got a glimpse of her issues but I still went ahead and asked her to be my girlfriend The heart wants what it wants."

"We dated for a year and a half (two years since meeting), and I actually got to see her at her worst a few times, but I was finally able to get her therapy with a great psychiatrist and treatment, this is when I asked her to move in with me. We've been living together for six years."

"Four years ago, she had the worst breakdown I've seen. She went full-on paranoid, wall-scratching nervous, she was even doubting me and my motives to be there. It was a very difficult week, and she left the house and went to her mom's house in the middle of the night."

"Eventually, her therapist was able to get a hold of her and get her back to her senses. Her doctor then suggested that I also should go to a counselor or at the very least we should do couples therapy so we had strong bases for our relationship and we did."

"I now look back and won't change her for anything in the world, she has grown so much, and she glows right now. I now see her smile and it's glorious. She's achieved a great position too and it's amazing just to see how much happier she looks."

- Spiritual-Narwhal666

Not a Match

"I fixed what I wanted to fix, but that still didn't make us right for each other. In the end, I think she's in a much happier place than she could have been, so I think it was worth the time invested."

"We were wrong for each other, but at least we both came out better positioned to receive the happiness that would come to us later."

- MrWeb20

In Their Nature

"A couple of months into the relationship, I fixed him."

"After some irritation, he stopped peeing on the carpet. Now, my cat still brings mice, but I guess, that's just his nature."

- mobileJay77

The Importance of Boundaries

"I don't know if I would say that I 'fixed' her (and I wasn’t trying to), but I definitely taught my last ex the importance of being able to set boundaries and to stop going out of her way to please people who consistently hurt her."

"Eventually this would lead to us breaking up, but I have no regrets. I have issues of my own that were wearing her down and she did what she had to. Same rules apply. We’re both better off because of it."

- TylerTexas10

Happily Ever After

"She fixed herself and I fixed myself with each other's support, and we are living happily ever after, it seems, with ongoing work on ourselves and our relationship."

- DonPronote

An Uncommon Ending

"I didn’t fix them. But I tried my hardest to be patient and supportive while they fixed themself. Sometimes I was better at support than other times. Sometimes they were better at fixing than other times."

"It ended up being worth the patience. Things have been great with us for years now. I know this isn’t the normal outcome though, and I feel incredibly lucky."

- I_Invented_Frysauce

A Little Help from Our Friends

"Usually I'm the one people try to fix.. I think the repeated attempts definitely helped me. Now my current partner gets to enjoy the previous hard work."

"...I think I just got tired of hurting the people who love me and fixed myself, though."

- addrien

All Their Idea

"You can't fix anyone. You can only fix yourself, but if you really want to try and fix someone, you have to make it seem like it's their idea."

- BuhrZap

A Helping Hand

"I don't think you can fix anyone. You can only help them fix themselves, which is very different."

"If someone is actively trying to fix themselves, and you can actually be the person to support them through it, then it can work, but it could also not work."

"I do think there should be a distinction between the two. I mean, trying to fix someone is a bad idea, but if you like someone and are willing to support them in their journey to fix themselves, it's probably not the worst idea in the world."

- brooksie1131

Lesson Learned

"It went so well that they managed to cure me of the desire to 'fix' anybody."

"I’ll toss you a life preserver if you’re trying to save yourself. But I’m not jumping in the water with anyone so they can drown me on their way out."

"People who need to hit rock bottom in order to better themselves will use you to soften their landing if you let them."

- GlobalPermit5428

Best Friends Forever

"It went well but it didn’t work out."

"So we kind of fixed each other we were both at very weird points in our lives and we only dated for about one and a half years. We didn’t need a romantic partner but we did need a friend in each other."

"We’re both in better places now and the best of friends. We both want each other to be part of our lives just not as lovers."

"All and all, I say we got the best outcomes in our lives."

- CODMAN627

So Worth the Investment

"He was an Uber driver with only a high school diploma."

"I married him anyways and bankrolled his education because he was fun as f**k to be around, was the smartest person I’ve ever met, and loves me like I’m the only woman on Earth."

"Now, he’s a computer engineer and we are landlords together and have bought investment properties. We are very happy together."

"Partners work together to create success. I think selfish people ask, 'what’s in it for me?' Marriage is about selflessness."

"I’m glad I sacrificed for his education. His mind would be wasted otherwise and he’s a genius."

- BabyElephantWalks

In most of these cases, the situation went poorly after a Redditor tried to change someone, and for good reason. If that person isn't ready or doesn't want to be fixed, it's only going to damage the relationship.

There's also something to be said about unconditional love. If you don't want to date the person exactly as who they are right now, why are you even trying to date them?

If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.

To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/

Guy at the gym
Anastase Maragos/Unsplash

Tough guys put on a facade that indicates to others that they always know what's going on.

But their confidence doesn't always match their intellect, which is probably why they cover their insecurities by walking around and trying to show everyone who's really the boss.

If that's the case, they should keep their mouths shut because not everything that comes out of their mouth needs to be heard.

Yet, it can be amusing to everyone else.

Curious to hear examples of these, Redditor PrototypeShadowBlitz asked:

"Reddit, what is the stupidest thing you've heard from the 'alpha male' community?"

You might find these guys at a bar.

The Dude Must Be Hungry

"Had a run in once with a group of young lads about something in a bar and one of them said we are top of the food chain bro and you will be the prey."

– insertitherenow

"'Whatever, mall ninja" -proper response."

– TheEighthLord

If The Shoe Fits

"That they were an alpha male."

– I_Have_A_Name37654

"The use of 'Alpha Male,' unironically is every indication that you're dealing with a child's understanding of manhood."

– 88Dubs

Brat Pack

"Me and my bros are all alpha males."

– SonOfDadOfSam

"I was skiing one time and rode the lift with a guy that said, 'I don't feel no pain. I live with 5 roommates and none of us feel any pain.' Okay, bud. That's a really interesting coincidence."

– NicPizzaLatte

They sure thrive on making sexist comments.

Contagious Femininity

"A coworker said, 'I don't spend too much time with my girlfriend because I'll become too feminine.'"

– Lazy_Natural6154

"FELLAS IS IT GAY?!"

– aliebabadegrote

Sexist Categorization

"I have been called a beta for saying that my wife makes more money than I do. She works in a more lucrative field and is more educated than I am, so it makes perfect sense that she makes more than I do."

"So I came back, and this post has really blown up. There's just a few things I want to clarify."

"1- I have only ever been called a beta online."

"2- I work full-time in project management. I have a master's degree. I have a 6 figure salary."

"3- My wife has a PhD and works in finance. She also has a 6 figure salary, it's just a higher salary than my own."

"4- I'm sorry to anyone who might feel as though my original post misled them."

– ExaminationDouble240

It's Teamwork

"A real man would be proud of his wife for achieving success, and not fall for that sort of insecure bullsh*t."

"It's not a contest, that's the real joke here. Good on you for seeing the big picture."

– Mrbeardoesthethings

Do these roles about parenting sound familiar?

Childish Things Are Too Girly

"Real men don't take their kids trick or treating is one that I heard recently."

– constructionguy89

"Related. Guys who brag about not changing diapers, not playing 'girly' games, etc. Essentially guys who brag that their only contribution to fatherhood is money and masculine things like fishing or football. Even then some of them brag about not paying a lot of child support to prove they didn't let the system take advantage of them."

"I can't imagine a life so empty my only accomplishment worth bragging about was being a terrible parent."

– Green7000

This Woman's Work

"I was told that taking care of my kids is woman's work. Apparently it's concerning that I try to spend so much of my free time with them. Oddly enough the meatheads at my grappling club think it's sweet I occasionally have my daughters' hair clips on and nails painted."

– MrFunktasticc

People discussed rules in the bedroom.

Never Submissive

"That a man is turned off when their wife/girlfriend seduces them, because if she wants sex and shows it she is a sl*t, also making the man the submissive one…"

– kamalaophelia

Stifling Emotions

"Not the whole community, but was cuddling with a guy once and could tell he was trying not to get emotional over something that was bothering him. He said, quite literally, 'it's not alpha male behaviour.' I told him that I liked that he showed emotions sometimes, and he looked disgusted by the fact that I pointed it out."

– LambLifts

In high school, a classmate who was on the football team said I was a "sissy" for listening to classical music.

The other classmates laughed at me, which was hardly surprising since all of the guys on our unbeatable football team were considered stars on campus.

This kind of mockery was a typical day for me.

I can laugh at their idiotic comments now but back then, I don't know why I ever let them get under my skin.

Man standing behind large flowers
Quinn Buffing on Unsplash

We've all done things, or in some cases, regularly do things that others might consider weird.

Even so, we often feel no shame or embarrassment and embrace how unusual these habits are, and take our friends teasing or laughing at us for doing so in stride.

Sometimes, however, we might not like to advertise some of our unusual habits or actions and make every effort to keep them a well-guarded secret.

As raised eyebrows are much easier to take than blatant judgment from friends and peers.

Redditor Key_Nectarine_1969 was curious to hear all the weird things people have done which they still keep under lock and key, leading them to ask:

"What’s the weirdest thing you’ve done that you could only tell people anonymously?"

The Devil [Dogs] Is In The Detail...

"All throughout middle school, there was someone who tucked unwrapped Hostess Devil Dogs into the toilet paper dispensers in the bathrooms, so that when you pulled some toilet paper out, the devil dog would fall out into your hand."

"We had to have an assembly about it."

"That person... Was me."- bejeweled_sky

Seemed Like A Good Idea At The Time

"Was drunk at an escape room with coworkers."

"It was an extreme one where you are handcuffed the entire time."

"I decided in my drunken state that it would be bada** to dislocated my thumb and slip off the cuffs like the movies."

"It wasn't."

"We got kicked out, my coworkers were weirded out and I had to go to the hospital."

"I quit a few weeks later."

"White collar wasn't for me."- Grotesque-penguin

The Bread Of Heaven

"Stole over 1,000 wafers from church because I really liked the communion wafers & didn’t know where else to get them."

"I felt really blessed & cursed for a long time."- hALLIEcinate

catholic the exorcist GIFGiphy

Retracing Steps...

"Once I got off the subway in NYC and I was super early for an appointment."

"So I picked a random guy and just followed him on foot for like 30 minutes, pretending I was like a private detective or something."

"Always kept about a half block behind."

"He turned this way and that, and eventually went into a building I had lived in 9 years earlier."

"It was weird, and so was I."- OKsurewhynotyep

Hygeine Be Damned...

"I found a dead rat in a field when i was younger and kissed it bc I wanted to say goodbye."- qeleia

exercise push up GIFGiphy

Bad Decisions Have A Way Of Getting Back To You...

"We got super drunk and ate a ton of spicy food in New Orleans."

"Back at the B&B, the food started to come out the back side."

"I was sitting on the toilet sh*tting bricks of fire."

"At that moment, the booze decided to hang a u-turn."

"The trash can was out of reach and I couldn't risk standing up from the toilet for even 5 seconds."

"The closest receptacle was the bathtub."

"I managed to turn in such a way that I could keep shi*ting in the toilet while projectile vomiting into the tub."

"Both ended up clogged, and there was no plunger."

"I had to call the owner to explain that I had destroyed both their toilet and their tub simultaneously."- HoopOnPoop

Things Best Left To Professionals...

"My partner is weirdly prone to cysts."

"I had to drain a 3 inch cyst on her back (thankfully she had a dr's appt the next week), then multiple other little cysts on her legs and chest."

"I never told her to her face but that first giant cyst literally haunted me, the amount of pus and blood I saw....good heavens."- SleepyBiologist

uruguay spot GIF by sargentoPezGiphy

At Least A Lesson Was Learned...

"When I was walking to school one morning, I saw a kid (7-8 yo?) kicking a dog."

"I ran over & kicked the kid and asked him how it felt."

"He ran off and no one saw."

"Still not sorry."- sneezyailurophile

All Creatures Deserve Love

"I was extremely socially isolated as a child and tried to make friends with the coyotes who lived in the woods by our home."

'I caught one in a snare and fed and kept her."

"I wanted a friend."- letthetreeburn

That's What Friends Are For...

"My wife and her best friend pick me up from a frat party black out drunk."

"Then they helped me take a sh*t on the toilet, wiped my a** and then gave me a shower and put me to bed naked."

"Don’t remember any of it."- nc3100

Party Love GIF by Chris CiminoGiphy

Not The Right Kind Of Manure...

"One time I went outside at like 2AM and put the garden hose nozzle into my butthole and sprayed some water into it, then farted it out onto the lawn."

"Basically gave myself an enema with a garden hose."

"I did this because I was bored."

"My neighbour saw me and told my dad (lived at home at the time)."- WaspsInMyGoatse

A Little Fantasy Now And Then...

"When I was younger I joined an international dating site that I figured was a scam."

"Put a black square as my picture and gave myself a fake name, and then looked through their users."

"And after about 10 minutes I had like a 100 messages."

"Most of them were messages telling me how handsome I was or how these women fell in love with me at first site."

"Now I knew it was a scam but when ever I felt down or got rejected for a while I would pop back on the site and read a few messages."

'Yeah it’s kinda cringy and probably pathetic but it made me feel better."

"I would just turn off that logical part of my brain that knew it was a scam for awhile and just pretend I was this popular and desirable guy."

"And it honestly got me through the day sometimes."- Demonking3343

dating app GIFGiphy

If anyone says they've never done anything they're ashamed, or at the very least less-than-proud of, in all likelihood, they are lying.

Or, more likely, they understandably want to pretend that it never happened.

Which might be a little easier than harboring a secret.