As youngsters, we frequently lack a complete awareness of reality and fail to recognize the gravity or importance of circumstances, particularly during our formative years. However, as we become older, memories emerge, giving us a better understanding of what happened in the past. Occasionally, we may discover deep-seated mysteries about our own upbringing or those close to us, giving us a new perspective on life, much like the folks in this article did.
Story 1:
In the summer, my father used to wake me up at 9 a.m., feed me breakfast, and then lead me out of the home, locking the back and front doors from the inside. I wasn’t permitted back inside until the streetlights were on, save to use the restroom or grab a drink.
He’d remind me, “You’re not just sitting around the house all day.” My stepmother never questioned anything, assuming dad was simply encouraging me to play outside for a few hours.
Years later, I realized that he just wanted me out of the house so that he can be alone and watch Hockey games. I never really questioned why he was kicking me out because the other kids that lived on the street were also outside around the same time as me. © AkKik-Maujaq / Reddit
Story 2:
When I was a youngster, we’d get bizarre phone calls from people asking for “Mary Ellen.” Nobody in my house had that name. We would say, “No, you’ve got the wrong number?!?” Stop phoning here.
My sister once blurted out, “Oooooooooh… Mom, it’s probably your boyfriend, and that’s a secret code.” She was joking, but she got it just correct. The parents divorced about a year later. 15 years later, he is still my stepfather. © Sandwichnerd/Reddit
Story 3:
I had no idea that my dad’s “vitamins” were actually anti-epileptic drugs. He’s been taking them for as long as I can remember, but I didn’t realize the reality until I was 23. © One Helluva Username/Reddit
Story 4:
In ninth grade, I was on a school field trip and seen my father’s automobile pass by. He didn’t see me, but it was him and a lady I recognized from work, and it was in the middle of the day, far from his workplace. About 5-6 years later, my parents separated, and a year after, the same woman moved in with him. It had been going on all along, and no one was aware of it but me. © lzy_qa_guy/Reddit
Story 5:
Growing up, my grandmother on my mother’s side refused to interact with us. When I asked why, my mother was quite vague in her explanations.
Years later, I learned from a family member that my father had previously dated my grandmother and abandoned her for her daughter (my mother). © Bladerunner54 | Reddit
Story 6:
My whole family, including relatives who were at least eight years younger than me, knew that my father had a second family. They hid it from me for years, including my parents’ divorce and his ultimate marriage to the “other woman.” Mom was aware, but they chose to wait until the night before I began my freshman year at a new school in a new place to inform me that dad was leaving us. © SoundingWithSpiders/Reddit
Story 7:
My grandma has always been cruel to her oldest daughter (my mother’s sister). She was always mocking and ridiculing her. Even as a child, I believed she was being harsh to her for no apparent reason. I simply imagined she played favorites with her children to an extraordinary degree.
When I was approximately 20, I discovered that my grandmother conceived my aunt out of wedlock before meeting and marrying my grandpa, and she was cruel to her because she disliked being reminded of that aspect of her history. I had previously lost respect for her when I thought she was being mean to my aunt for no reason. When I found out the real reason, I just lost even more respect for her. © uh_oh_hotdog / Reddit
Story 8:
My mother described a boy she liked when she was younger, before she and my father married. He looked extremely different from my father. My father is Italian, but this man was blond.
All of my brothers and sisters look Italian, but I do not. I am blond with blue eyes. No one informed me, but now I’m wondering. © Windbiter/Reddit
Story 9:
My biological father passed away before my birth. They always called him “Uncle” Henry, and I never thought much about it.
I never questioned why I didn’t look like my stepfather, but everything clicked when I saw a photo of my biological father. © McManyBucks / Reddit
Story 10:
I learnt I was adopted when I was four years old. I was always taught that it was a closed adoption, with no knowledge about my birth family.
When I was 13, I discovered my grandmother had a photo on her wall of a little girl that resembled my twin, and everyone said they didn’t remember who it was. At 17, I discovered that my adopted father’s childhood acquaintance was actually my biological grandmother. It was her photo on the wall, which is why it seemed so similar to me. © LearningProf24 / Reddit
Story 11:
My father has five brothers and sisters, all of whom are married and have children except for one of his sisters. She has lived with my parents and me for as long as I can remember.
I recently discovered that she is my father’s birth mother, and he never met his natural father. My grandmother’s father took him in as one of the brothers. His biological mother (my grandmother) never told my father about it. There’s an elephant in the room. © Insp1red90 / Reddit
Story 12:
I’m not my father’s real son. I believe he is unaware of the situation, and my mother is unaware that I am aware.
I discovered this after comparing my father’s, siblings’, and mother’s blood types; they do not match. © Unknown author/Reddit