It’s hard when we can’t share everything with our parents. But sometimes, talking to someone new can take the weight off our chest and make us feel so much better. Whether it’s childhood antics, job setbacks, or missed chances in life, these individuals choose to share their secrets with total strangers.
- «When I was a kid I had some weird shaking in my hands one night, my parents noticed and freaked out, and we went to several doctors. My hands were shaking that first night, but I thought they would be upset with me over all of the fuss once they had stopped shaking the next day, so I kept it going, several doctors and later and some time at a chiropractor and it ’stopped’. It is one of those things I feel horrible about, and I will probably take with me to my grave and to anonymous internet forums.» ShakyHands99 / Reddit
- «Had skipped school and the school called my dad to ask why I didn’t show up. So he calls me and says, ’Why aren’t you at school?’ So I told him that I’m actually on a field trip, and they should know that, and he says ok let me talk to your teacher.
So I was downtown and there was no shortage of homeless people, so I asked one if he’d pretend to be my teacher here for 5 bucks. He sold it perfectly, and my dad apologized to me.» Unknown author / Reddit - «For the past 2 months, I have eaten little to nothing because I have no money.» Cosmic_Reaction / Reddit
- «I know I’m adopted. In the early ’70s, these things weren’t openly discussed. A few years ago I got reacquainted with a cousin I hadn’t seen for many years, and he let it slip, thinking that I knew.
My parents are the most amazing people and remain my best friends. They have their reasons for never telling me, and I will never tell them I know. I love them, and they love me, and that’s all that matters.» cmc84906 / Reddit
- «When I was 8, my sister and I cracked my dad’s chess board. We hid the pieces in someone else’s trash can. My Dad has had it since he was 11, he was 46 at the time, and he was fuming mad. He thought he lost it, and he still does.» Histo12 / Reddit
- «When I was younger, I read in my mom’s journal that she had an abortion before she was pregnant with me. She doesn’t know that I know, and I’m not sure how she would react. I’m just glad they decided to keep the second pregnancy.» Unknown author / Reddit
- «I was homeless for more than two years. During the recession from 2008 to some time in 2010, I lost my job and eventually was kicked out of my apartment. I had a 10-year-old car that was paid off, so I lived out of that until I found a series of jobs cleaning houses, and working in a recreational center part-time.
My parents lived 1,000 miles away, and I managed to keep a mailing address at a friend’s so they never realized. It would have killed them that I didn’t want to ask for help, I wanted to do it on my own.» Unknown author / Reddit - «I know they wanted to abort me but didn’t because they wanted to keep their good image in front of the family.» YaBoiLink0227 / Reddit
- «I was 10-ish, and my dad had just painted the boiler room door orange in our basement. My younger brother and I were pushing each other around on a skateboard in the basement, and my dad warned us, don’t you dare hit this door with your skateboard. 15 minutes later, I’m picking my brother up from the ground and looking at a hole in my dad’s orange door caused by said skateboard.
Definitely not telling dad. Instead, I grab a piece of orange construction paper and a glue stick to ’patch’ the hole. It matched surprisingly well. 27 years later, that construction paper is still holding strong, and I have never heard a word about it from my pop.» FerDaLuvaGawd / Reddit - «My sister and I were reading through my mom’s old high school yearbook, and we kept seeing everyone sign saying something along the lines of, ’Congrats, you and X are perfect together!’ X is not our dad, and we had never heard X’s name mentioned before.
After a little more digging we found out she had married X right out of high school, divorced, then married our father. Neither of us really cared, but it was still a huge shock she hasn’t told us now that we’re both in our mid-twenties.» thelarge1 / Reddit - «I texted my mother’s ex-boss back when I was 5 years old and asked him for an opportunity to return to her job because I didn’t want her and my father to keep arguing. Her previous job was 900 km away, and she can only go home for 2 weeks every 6 months.
I deleted the text message immediately, but her ex-boss responded and she took the job. I only saw my mom twice a year then, but her and my father’s relationship got better. They are both now happy in retirement.» valuemellue / Reddit - «My brother tried running away from home because of mom’s cooking. This is not a joke, my mom can barely cook anything unless it’s Italian, but we all act like she cooks good food.» ScreamingBreadCat / Reddit
- «My wife and I married in 2021. Our families believe we got married late last year. We got married (for real) in front of three very good friends who we felt were more deserving of seeing us marry. If either of our families found out, they’d be crushed.» RennSport5280 / Reddit
- «I almost died. I got sick and bad, and it kept getting worse. I told them it was a cold, knowing they would drop everything to come check on me, potentially disrupting their lives. I bought plane tickets for them the day after my operation, pretty much knowing I wouldn’t survive.
The hospital staff saved my life, and now every year on the anniversary, I make it a point to send them flowers. The only one who knows is my wife.» ElonsMuskyFeet / Reddit - «I got vasectomy, they’ll never get grandchildren from me.» Marchests / Reddit
- «I’m 37 years old, I live with my parents and I have a 19-year-old daughter whom I didn’t know existed, I met her a few months ago, my parents still don’t know about her. Should I reveal my secret?» Voracious_Port / Reddit
Thanks to courageous Reddit users, we can now find out personal secrets online, fulfilling our curiosity to listen in on conversations and uncover hidden truths.