At times, life presents formidable challenges, making it difficult to muster the strength to persevere. Today, amidst tales of adversity and tragedy, there emerges a beacon of hope. These courageous individuals have endured pretty devastating experiences yet chosen to share their narratives online. Their resilience serves as a profound source of inspiration.
- When I was 7, I was playing at recess, and one of my classmates told me, «Your mom’s not your real mom.» She found out I was adopted and decided to tease me about it. My parents had told me I was adopted, but I didn’t really understand it. But it suddenly clicked, right at that moment. Everything changed. © mollymuppet78 / Reddit
- When my grandfather died, I stayed with my grandmother for a few weeks (I got a summer job close to her house). She’s one of those old ladies who likes to clean. I was with her the day after the funeral, and I sat down in my grandfather’s chair to watch TV while she cleaned an already spotless closet. Between me sitting in his chair and her cleaning, she must have zoned out and needed a hand, so she called for my grandfather. When he didn’t respond, she said his name again, louder, thinking I was him. A split second later, she broke into sobs. It was heartbreaking. © C0lMustard / Reddit
- From 2007 to 2012, I was with a really great guy. I didn’t grasp how great he was until he broke up with me. And now my best friend is with him. Losing her was a thousand times more heartbreaking than losing him. I miss her. Every. Single. Day. © jedimeg / Reddit
- I knew a woman whose comfortable life took a dark turn, and she ended up working as a cleaner.
Years ago, she had planned to move to Spain with her husband and young daughter and had a great job lined up there. The plan was for her husband and daughter to fly over first, and she would follow a week or two later due to finishing her old job a little later than planned. Her husband rang her on the day they arrived and said the house was lovely, and the furniture had arrived by ferry, etc. That was the last time she ever heard from them. Her husband and daughter were found dead by authorities a few days after she rang, explaining she was concerned for their welfare as she had had no contact with them, and she was extremely worried. It was carbon monoxide poisoning. It is scary to think how fast your life can change. © Chlooeeeee / Reddit - Very old, financially struggling parents from a third-world country accrued severe debts to educate their only son. They took on even more debt to send him abroad to start his first job. The emotional send-off was filled with hope and dreams for his future. Tragically, the 22-year-old passed away in an accident on his way to work on his first day. © isovue / Reddit
- She wanted to take our relationship slowly, so I let her dictate the pace of things. Then she wasn’t sure she wanted to be in a relationship. Respectfully, I allowed her wishes, and we had a mutual breakup, though I still loved her. The next day, she got involved with my best mate, and they had a long, long relationship. It still hurts. I’m not sure if she ever liked me at all, or if it was all to get closer to my now ex-friend. © MrFerkles / Reddit
- My best friend’s parents were out of town one weekend, and she had the house to herself. She went about her business, having dinner, watching TV, and then decided to go to bed. She was lying in her bed with her back to her closet when she heard the door open. She somehow pretended to be asleep — the man who was hiding in the closet walked around her bed to the side she was facing, gently stroked her hair and face, and then left. She immediately called her boyfriend to ask him to come over, then called her parents, and then the police. Long story short, this man had been getting into their home via a doggy door (they didn’t have a dog and didn’t bother to secure it), and he’d been living in a tent in the forest area behind their home for months to creep on her. © halfyellowhalfwhite / Reddit
- I was engaged and planned to move to another city for new jobs. I was going to go first, and he was going to follow as soon as he could find a position in that city. When I got to the new city, I already knew something was weird. Over Skype, he told me he wasn’t coming. I haven’t seen him since. It took me 2.5 years to even attempt to date again. I’m still hurt by it. © oxides_only / Reddit
- My dad’s coworker and his wife really wanted a family but weren’t able to conceive. After years of trying and fertility treatments, she finally got pregnant with twins. They were over the moon and so happy, since they knew the odds were good this would be their only chance and, hey, two for one! The woman went into labor a month early, which is totally normal for twins, but something went wrong during delivery and both babies and the mother died. I can’t even imagine what that guy went through. © Unknown author / Reddit
- I was fired from a job because the staff made false accusations and claims about me, simply because I held them accountable compared to the person before me. This happened even though the company brought in a professional who verified that the claims were not true. They decided it was easier to replace me than the workforce. It messed up the entire start of my career, and I’m still recovering from it. © Unknown author / Reddit
- My wife and I tried to get pregnant for a while, and finally, we did. At about 12 weeks or so, she started experiencing lots of pain and weird sensations. At 14 weeks, an ultrasound revealed that the heart had stopped beating. She had to undergo a D&C. It was scheduled about three days from the ultrasound, on the day of my birthday. A day before the procedure, I lost my job. On the day of the procedure, our car broke down in the hospital parking lot. The day after, I came down with some sort of flu. So, yeah, it was the happiest birthday week ever. Although we did try again about a year later, and now we have a happy, healthy, belligerent one-year-old little boy. © Arkansan13 / Reddit
- I had my first crush on a girl in my 8th-grade class. My heart would race every time I saw her. One day later in the year, we had a new seating plan, and I was slated to sit next to her. When my name was called, she immediately screamed out «NO!» and started protesting to the teacher to change it. Oh man, did it hurt. © SteroidSandwich / Reddit
