3 hours ago
2
NOTE: This station contains mentions of rape, abortion, suicide, and different delicate topics. Please proceed with caution.
1. "My girl knows that her grandparents are getting a divorce. She doesn’t cognize that it’s due to the fact that her Grandpa (72) decided to sound up a 23-year-old. We volition speech astir it erstwhile she’s older, but I don’t privation to normalize that narration for a preadolescent."
"I americium decidedly going to bash my champion to explicate to my daughter, but she’s 9 and emotionally overwhelmed by the precise thought of the divorce. When she comes to maine to speech astir it (having processed the idea), past I volition explicate the concern much fully. My hubby has already told his dada that our household and his caller household won’t beryllium getting unneurotic for a barbecue anytime successful the foreseeable future."
2. "That my dad's day was really October 5, not December 5 (like helium told everyone his full life). That meant Grandma was large erstwhile she and Grandpa got married. We discovered it erstwhile Dad passed away. He had hidden his driver's licence and passport and 'celebrated' his December birthday. Mom had already passed, but we person to presume she knew. Oh, the scandal!"
3. "On my 18th birthday, my begetter walked into my country with a container of weed and a clump of rolling papers and showed maine the full hidden information of our location (not connected blueprints, accessed done a hidden door) that helium utilized to turn weed. I had gotten grounded for smoking weed respective times by that constituent successful my life. This was successful Florida successful the '90s."
4. "My begetter told maine that my parent was dormant each passim my childhood. Everyone successful the household — aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, my stepmother — supported the lie. Not due to the fact that my parent was connected drugs oregon abusive, oregon a criminal, oregon adjacent a atrocious person. Just due to the fact that they had a immense statement 1 nighttime and she went to enactment with a friend, without me, truthful helium decided she would ne'er beryllium allowed to beryllium successful my beingness again. Ever. He wrote her off. On my 18th birthday, she called our location and asked to talk with me. So, I recovered retired the truth."
5. "My grandparents had a live-in antheral tenant who — arsenic kids — we knew arsenic an uncle. Although ne'er disclosed, I enactment the pieces unneurotic arsenic an big and realized that helium fathered astatine slightest 2 of my aunts/uncles with my grandmother."
6. "My grandma didn't drive. I thought she couldn't, but it was conscionable ne'er discussed. One day, erstwhile I was possibly 7 oregon 8, I'd been trying to get someone, anyone, to thrust maine to the store for candy. We were visiting my aunt and uncle, and Grandma lived with them. They had Bit-O-Honey astatine the section store, which I could nary longer get astatine home, but nary 1 would instrumentality maine to the store. Finally, I said I'd conscionable inquire Grandma, and my relative chimed successful with, 'Grandma can't drive.' 'Oh, you stake your saccharine ass I tin drive. They conscionable don't fto me!' Grandma replied, having overheard. But that's each that was said astir it, and my aunt yet took maine to the store, truthful I forgot astir it."
"Years later, erstwhile I'd conscionable gotten my license, I asked my ma what was up with Grandma not driving. She explained that during prohibition, grandma boot-legged intoxicant for moonshiners. She was precise palmy astatine it. She was truthful palmy astatine it that erstwhile the moonshiners were yet busted, adjacent though the revenuers ne'er caught my grandma, her licence was suspended by the authorities 'to ne'er beryllium reissued.'
Later successful life, she was told she could petition for it back, but it came with an admittance of guilt oregon immoderate such. She told 'em to spell to hell."
7. "My dada cheated connected my parent portion she was going done crab treatments. My parent asked for a divorce, and helium said to spell and instrumentality the kids. Every Valentine’s Day, I would person flowers from my dada and get truthful happy. My ma would grin and motion and get excited with me. I would telephone him and convey him. He ne'er sent maine flowers. It was my ma each those years."
"Same happening with day cards and Christmas gifts from him. They were ne'er from him, my ma conscionable enactment his sanction connected them successful akin handwriting. She went arsenic acold arsenic to constitute the instrumentality addresses connected the mail, too. My ma was a superhero of a azygous parent."
8. "I learned that 'Uncle' Jim, who was a bully household person connected my mom’s broadside and was ever astir household gatherings, was really my mom’s archetypal husband. 😂"
9. "I started having problems with my teeth. Spontaneous abscess that resulted successful aggregate basal canals. My dentist did immoderate looking into what the origin mightiness beryllium and recovered immoderate truly unusual abnormalities with my incisor roots and nerves (the teeth that had been afflicting me), truthful helium sent retired requests for assistance to a mates of professors helium knew successful the field. When my adjacent assignment came up, helium was truly quiescent for a spot earlier verbally stumbling. It turns retired that what was happening with my teeth was a classical motion of inbreeding, and helium was ace uncomfortable giving maine the news."
"I brought it up to my mom, and she conscionable said, 'Oh good yeah, didn't you know?' WTF!? Of course, I didn't know!!! Turns retired that not precise acold backmost successful the household tree, respective of my relatives decided that it was a bully thought to get joined to 1 another....and nary 1 bothered to notation it to me...ever. The tiny municipality wherever I unrecorded is 85% my relatives, nary joke. I hadn't adjacent met each of them, that's however galore determination are."
—None
10. "We deed the lottery for 12.5 cardinal dollars, and cipher successful our household — including our children — has immoderate idea. Besides america and the government, the lone different radical who cognize is an lawyer we hired to support our identities private, arsenic good arsenic an accountant. We person kept our lives beauteous normal. We some work, truthful it looks similar there’s an income coming in. We some bask what we bash and didn’t privation to person thing alteration drastically. We conscionable didn’t privation to ruin our relationships with everyone oregon spoil our kids."
"We person it safely invested for their futures…but not until they found themselves connected their ain without immoderate thought that determination is simply a information net. We enactment galore charities. It’s a blessing to triumph but a bigger blessing not to beryllium destroyed by money."
11. "After my gramps passed, we recovered retired helium had fathered a kid erstwhile helium was posted successful Italy during WWII. He ne'er knew. His parent intercepted immoderate letters from the Italian girl. He came home, met and joined my grandmother, and had 4 children. I hide who successful the household recovered retired and how. It's chaotic to deliberation that we person a full Italian household retired there!"
12. "When my paternal gramps died, the national authorities reached retired to bash a authorities funeral. He'd been vocation service and a colonel, truthful we didn't question it. Then the ceremonial came, and they went ALL OUT! It was a immense procession, radical showing up who were truly large names, similar heads of departments, senators, retired senators, and radical from the CIA and State Dept. It was nuts, and we were each ace confused. Turns retired helium was a cardinal dude successful the OSI during WWII, and erstwhile the OSI splintered into the CIA and Secret Service, helium went the Secret Service route. He wasn't connected White House detail, but alternatively worked successful a covert bureau that dealt with counterfeiting and currency. He went unsighted erstwhile I was a toddler and retired from 'the Army.'"
"For immoderate reason, helium told nary 1 astir each his covert enactment with the OSI and Secret Service, and the lone idiosyncratic who knew (my grandmother) was sworn to secrecy and ne'er told anyone. My begetter grew up reasoning helium was conscionable a colonel moving connected base. Only aft his decease were we fixed each sorts of chill crap similar publications by him, lectures fixed by him, and each kinds of things from assorted things helium did and was known for. All I knew him arsenic was a unsighted aged antheral who was perpetually smoking, drinking, and being a crotchety bastard. Turns retired helium was a atrocious motherfucker, but nary of america knew."
—None
13. "I recovered retired successful my aboriginal 40s that I americium the merchandise of the rape of my teenage mother. I was told this by a household subordinate a fewer months aft Mom passed distant astatine the property of 56. The 2 radical who told maine besides shared that they weren't expected to ever archer me, but couldn't carnivore keeping the concealed from maine immoderate longer."
"Mom went to her grave, ne'er wanting maine to cognize this unspeakable happening astir her oregon my origins. I grew up being treated similar a overmuch loved and wanted — though decidedly a 'surprise' — child, truthful I had nary idea. I miss her truthful overmuch that six years later, grief inactive steals my enactment away.
I privation she'd told me, but I respect the hellhole retired of however she raised maine with love, not resentment oregon anger. I'm present connected the hunt to find the MF-er, and if helium isn't already dead, I'll marque him privation helium was."
14. "When I was 28, I was told I had a half-brother my ma placed for adoption earlier she joined my dad. I already had a half-sister I hardly saw from my dad’s archetypal marriage. Neither sibling wanted thing to bash with me. I was an lone kid and wanted a member oregon sister truthful badly. After my dada died successful 2018, I did 23 and Me and recovered ANOTHER half-sister that nary one, not adjacent my dad, knew about. He had worked successful different authorities the summertime earlier his elder twelvemonth of precocious school. The ma ne'er contacted my dada to archer him she got pregnant. This was successful the aboriginal '60s."
"I contacted my caller sister implicit 23 and Me. She replied, and that nighttime we talked connected the telephone for 3 hours. Instant connection. Nearly 8 years later, we are inactive adjacent — we are sisters! We’ve traveled to sojourn each different respective times and pass regularly. I americium SO blessed she is successful my life!!!"
15. "I recovered retired that my uncle is really my brother. My ma had him erstwhile she was truly young, truthful my grandparents raised him."
16. "That my Grandmother, who died erstwhile my parent was 13, didn't dice from earthy causes. She died from a backyard abortion."
17. "I learned that the 'nanny' I had erstwhile I was younger was really my dad's attempted sister-wife. She recovered retired however batshit helium was and dipped."
18. "My parents got joined successful precocious schoolhouse (ages 16 and 17) due to the fact that my parent lied to my dada and said she was pregnant. They married, divorced, got large with me, joined again, and divorced again. I didn't cognize immoderate of this until I was an adult."
19. "I americium 57 years aged now, but erstwhile I was 17, I recovered a photograph of maine arsenic a 1-year-old successful a playpen with a small miss of astir 5 lasting adjacent to me. The photograph was labeled with our names. I asked my sister who ‘Marianne’ was, and she instantly had a pained look connected her face. Turns retired Marianne was our foster sister from 6 weeks until my parents sent her distant erstwhile she was astir 5. My siblings were 13, 12, 9, and 5 (I was 1) erstwhile she was sent away, and they were told to NEVER notation her sanction ever again. Obviously, they didn’t, due to the fact that I lone recovered retired astir her from the photo."
"My brother, who was 5 erstwhile she was sent away, had nightmares for years that ‘the woman successful the large achromatic car with the candy canes’ was going to travel for him next. Apparently, the societal services pistillate lured Marianne to the car with candy canes. Marianne was the fortunate 1 who escaped — I anticipation she ended up successful a loving, unchangeable location and had a large life."
20. "My kids didn't cognize that we got divorced. Years earlier they came along, my spouse and I decided it wasn't moving retired and got divorced. Years later, things inactive weren't moving retired fantastically for some of us, truthful we got backmost together. Never did get astir to getting remarried, though."
21. "When I was similar 12, my dada died of leukemia. He was ne'er astir much, truthful I didn't spot him often. I really retrieve the time helium took disconnected and near us; I woke up 1 morning, and determination was a heap of caller toys connected the surviving country level with a enactment for Mom. Anyway, helium started coming astir erstwhile helium received the prognosis. We developed thing resembling a affirmative narration earlier helium died. When helium passed, it perfectly destroyed me. I inactive retrieve the funeral. I had to beryllium dragged, kicking and screaming retired of the car due to the fact that I didn't privation to spot it. In his will, helium near maine his car — a Camaro, which I was expected to get erstwhile I turned 16. His parents fought bony and nail to support it from maine (they were truly shitty people, his full broadside of the household was), and we yet conscionable told them to fuck disconnected and support the damn thing."
"Fast-forward astir 15 years. I recovered retired the feline who died was not really my dada — helium was my brother's dad. My real, biologic dada has been surviving successful the adjacent municipality over, 20 minutes from my house, my full life. My full household knew astir it, but for me. It was wherefore my 'grandparents' fought to support the car – they knew I was not his lad (I inactive don't cognize if HE knew oregon not, but I presume so).
My maternal grandma has met him respective times. My ma said she ne'er thought it was thing worthy digging up. Said she intended for maine to ne'er find out. I've inactive ne'er spoken to him. I cognize a sanction and an approximation of wherever helium lives (as of astir 10 years ago). Beyond that, I cognize jack astir the guy. Grandma said if I ever privation to conscionable him, she would assistance maine interaction him. Dunno if I ever will."
22. "My relative and I were swapped erstwhile we were born. Apparently, my 'mom' had excessively galore girls and wanted a boy, and my cousin's 'mom' was the opposite. Now I'm confused arsenic to who to telephone my mom."
—None
23. "I’m the kid of a genitor who hid thing horrible until I was 27. One day, erstwhile my parents had a home dispute, my dada called maine conscionable to get backmost astatine my mom. He said, 'Do you privation to cognize thing astir your whore mother? She slept with implicit 30 guys during our archetypal 2 years of marriage!' I conscionable sat down and started stuttering.
"He continued, 'You cognize however radical person ever said you looked antithetic than the remainder of the kids?... That’s due to the fact that I’m not your dad. Your ma slept with my champion friend, and you were conceived. Another thing! Your member (the 1 conscionable younger than maine — I’m the oldest) belongs to my brother!' My ma conscionable bawled successful the inheritance without denying it. I conscionable laughed, and past I went into 2 years of therapy."
24. "My begetter recovered retired erstwhile helium was successful his 40s that his begetter was not his biologic father. His parent (my grandmother) virtually cheated connected her hubby with the milkman."
25. "My dada has a 2nd woman successful a antithetic country. I got the quality from my sibling who lives there, but my begetter doesn't cognize that my member told me. My ma doesn’t cognize astir my father's 2nd wife. Not definite however this volition play retired successful the future. I anticipation it truly doesn’t."
—None
26. "Not our communicative but a person of ours. The hubby died precocious past twelvemonth of kidney failure. The parent told her 4-year-old lad that his begetter went overseas to enactment until helium was 18. There is nary result that is bully for this kid."
27. "When my parent fell sick and I took implicit her finances, I recovered thousands of pounds of gambling indebtedness connected her recognition cards. Then I recovered adoption papers for a kid she’d had earlier maine that she’d ne'er mentioned. Then different household subordinate told maine my dada didn’t dice successful a car clang but committed termination successful prison."
28. "That my grandma was my grandfather's babysitter for his archetypal wife."
29. "My grandma revealed connected her deathbed to my ma and dada (her expected firstborn son) that, portion successful nursing schoolhouse successful the 1950s (in a antithetic state), she really conceived a kid retired of wedlock and gave her up for adoption. Not adjacent my precise spiritual Grampa knew that. Grandma conscionable wanted to not person that accusation to dice with her, truthful she told my parents."
"Sure enough, a fewer years back, the aforementioned half-aunt got successful interaction with my dada to inquire astir my grandma (her aesculapian history, and truthful connected — beauteous tenable stuff). Since then, astir each of the household knows astir it, with my dada jokingly referring to my aunts and uncles arsenic 'my afloat brother/sister.' I person an antithetic family."
30. "When I was 5 years aged (1988), Santa Claus near a Nintendo connected our beforehand porch. It was wrapped successful newspaper, and my parents had nary thought who talented it to us. My dad, particularly, tried to fig it out. He was ever suspicious that it had been a household friend. It was by acold the champion acquisition of the year, and we played it each the clip passim our childhood. My dada died successful 2004. Last Christmas, my ma explained that she was the 1 who had bought it and secretly placed it connected the porch. My dada truly liked to beryllium successful power of things and had forbidden the purchase. She knew better. She didn't archer a psyche for 30 years. Thanks, Mom."
31. "My maternal great-grandmother did not similar Norwegians and went to her deathbed insisting she was full-blooded Swedish. My begetter is fractional Norwegian, truthful helium and my ma got a batch of flak from her. It was mostly successful bully fun, but it could get to my dad. After she passed, my gramps (her son) revealed that she was a 4th Norwegian. So my father, the 'half-breed,' was nary much Norwegian than her ain father."
32. "After my ma died, I recovered retired the existent communicative down my parents' marriage. My ma came to my father's state to sojourn immoderate of her relatives. She met my father, and aft conscionable 1 week, she asked him to wed her truthful she could enactment successful the country. My begetter accepted due to the fact that helium had nary 1 else, and his parents were pressing him to get joined already.
"The item of the communicative is that implicit immoderate time, the 2 of them fell successful emotion with each other. Their emotion lone grew, and they were truly blessed together. My parent spent her past days precise ill, and she would judge lone my begetter by her bedside. He swears to this time that she was an angel sent from deity to instrumentality attraction of him. I americium shocked that they got joined conscionable similar that, retired of the blue, and ended up loving each different so, so, truthful deeply. I tin lone anticipation to person arsenic bully and loving a matrimony arsenic they had."
—None
33. And finally, "My grandma precocious died. She was celebrated successful our municipality for her astonishing cooking/catering — successful particular, her turkey dinners. Notably, her gravy was perfectly amazing. So delicious. She had a bosom onslaught respective years ago, and her near-death acquisition convinced her to stock immoderate of her concealed recipes with me. All of them but for her gravy recipe. When she died this spring, I was going done her pantry and recovered an full bucket of KFC gravy mix. She was virtually utilizing KFC gravy premix arsenic a basal to marque her unthinkable gravy. Huge scandal."
Do you person a acheronian household concealed similar this you didn't larn until you were an adult? If truthful (and if you consciousness comfy sharing), archer america each astir it successful the comments oregon via the wholly anonymous signifier below:
Note: Submissions person been edited for magnitude and/or clarity.
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