We often believe we fully understand our family and others close to us, only to find surprising and often surprising facts about them. The brief stories we’ve selected for you today focus on folks who, rather than being overwhelmed by these unexpected discoveries, openly and boldly shared their experiences with millions of people online.
1. When I was a kid, my mother created a meal called “cheesy mashed potatoes.” It was just mashed potatoes, but orange because she added cheddar cheese — or so I assumed.
Years later, at a family reunion, I overheard my mother tell my aunt, “Well, to get the kids to eat more veggies, I would mash carrots with the potatoes. I explained that the orange color came from the cheese. “They loved it!”
I freaked out! My head was completely blown. Absolutely and completely blown. As a child, cheesy mashed potatoes were the highlight of my week, but was it all a lie? © OhBoyPizzaTime/Reddit
2. My father told me last month that he had been married to my aunt for years before marrying her older sister, my mother. This is why Thanksgiving and Christmas always seemed strange when she was gone. © Ugly_Pikachu/Reddit
3. I discovered that the reason I lived with my stepmother and stepfather was that my stepfather is my transgender biological mother. I finally had the confidence to inquire about my condition, and they informed me. They assumed I would ask when I was ready. © GrouchyLambo/Reddit
4. On a recent trip home, my mother and I drove into the country to see her sister. While driving, my mother casually pointed to a farmhouse and said, “That’s where the man I ??? ?? ?????? with lives.” The next 20 minutes of the drive were spent with mom telling how she spent the majority of my education fund (which I was assured did not exist as a child) on hotel rooms and pricey artwork for him. © TaunxTaun | Reddit
5. I was never told that my father had a previous marriage. When I was 18, I was looking through photos with my grandmother and came across wedding images of my father with someone who clearly wasn’t my mother. That was odd. Though it was wonderful that they had a mutual split, I was still really perplexed. © billium12 | Reddit
6. My mother did not bother to inform me or my sister that we had a brother. I found out after discovering his birth certificate in a shoebox in a closet. I’ve never met him or my father, but he is my full-blooded brother (same mother, same father), but my sister (whom I adore) has a different father. © TherealtedPro / Reddit
7. My “mom” turned out to be my grandmother, and my “sister” was actually my mother. My brows rose so high they nearly fell off my head. © TallUncle, Reddit
8. My granddad lied about his age. His parents had him out of wedlock, so they fled to Colorado. They maintained that his birthdate was after their marriage. He maintained that deception until his death. We just discovered out after he died. © Unknown author/Reddit
9. My biological grandparents adopted me. I was informed I was adopted at a young age, but it wasn’t until my late twenties that I discovered my older sister was my biological mother. It’s now a running joke in the family. © hoseir/Reddit
10. I was always under the notion that I was the only child of my single mother, but I discovered this year at the age of 22 that I am the second kid, and the first was placed for adoption. My mother follows him on all of social media. It didn’t disturb me too much, although I’m not sure why it was kept secret. © RzaAndGza/Reddit
11. My father left the house one night, and my mother said that he needed to take my uncle to the hospital. It turns out my father was actually bailing him out of jail. © sq*t-verduras/Reddit
12. I realized that my father had a previous marriage and three children. The only way I found out was by asking my mother one day out of curiosity. I didn’t expect her to admit… Apparently, he did not want my brother and me to know. © Lotus13/Reddit
