Random Life Stories and Unpredictable Moments

Recently, my partner and I celebrated a huge milestone by bringing our newborn son, Noah Alexander, into the world. The journey to deciding on his name wasn't straightforward, but we immediately fell in love with the name Noah after considering various options on the day he was born. Just 24 hours after his arrival, we were thrilled to introduce him to our family members, including my partner's sister, Sara, who has two sons (Ethan and Oliver) with her husband, Chris. Chris also shares a daughter from a previous relationship.

During the introduction, Sara was among the first to learn our son's name. Her reaction, however, caught us off guard when she expressed, "I've always adored the name Noah, but Chris wouldn't let me use it for Ethan because his ex already named their son Noah. Could you possibly think about using his middle name, Alexander, as his first name instead? It really does sound lovely!" Firm in our choice, I reassured her that, while I understood her situation, we had decided on Noah and would be sticking to it.

I presumed that would be the end of the discussion, but to my surprise, the topic resurfaced when Sara visited us at home a week later. I pointed out that it shouldn't have deterred her from using the name she loved, especially since the two boys wouldn't likely cross paths. They don’t attend the same school, share the same last name, or have any direct link except through their shared half-sister. I even mentioned that using the name in the future still might be possible—it’s a common name in our culture, which traditionally strengthens the bond among children sharing it.

It's important to note that Sara and I had never spoken about baby names before, nor did we have any agreements concerning them. The only complicating factor seems to be Chris's challenging co-parenting dynamics with his ex, which understandably impacts Sara. Although Sara and I maintain a good relationship, she typically avoids discussing matters involving Chris’s ex, so my understanding in this matter is quite limited. Should I feel like I've overstepped here?

Imagine if all of this drama unfolded not just in our personal lives, but on a reality show. The intensity of the situation could definitely escalate with cameras rolling, capturing every expression and reaction. How would the audience perceive my insistence on the name? Would they side with Sara due to the sensitivity of her situation, or applaud our firmness in keeping the name we loved? Reality TV thrives on such personal conflicts, magnifying every detail and potentially swaying public opinion either way.

So, I think some of read my vent in https://iiwiars.com/school/i-m-a-failure-long-version

And I showed it to my mom. She said it was nonsense of me to keep dragging this now because it already finished 2 days ago. She told me that the family still loves me, and no other family can ever love me the same way. What if she's lying? She said in life you shouldn't feel miserable and still allow yourself to change. I told her I can't change, and that I wish I could be faster because I'm slow compared to many others, but Moomy told me that it doesn't matter and I will still change and be good. What if she's lying? She also said that she can be my friend because she's my mom and so far she's been understanding. What if she's lying? She says that we all have a good time until I remember that we had a horrible argument/misunderstanding the night before, which she said she didn't forget, but she didn't wanna let it define her. What if she's lying? I'm hurt by the argument that day, and I feel like I was turned into a clown-like caricature, a "child creating her own problems to seek attention from others".

Surely I'm Belle Gibson, the Instagram lady who almost convinced the world she had cancer and they believed her genuinely (you should read the website above to know what I mean). My mom said that I shouldn't vent anymore and I should delete the thing, the big paragraphs I showed her, because it's not true. I told her that's not the point of a vent, and she said vents are apparently some stuff "people shove their ass in". Fuck her so much. I told her whenever I get angry, I wanna murder people, like, literally, and she called me a psycho. I told her I should've never said that and kept it in, but for some reason, bloody whore tells me to tell her EVERYTHING because she won't leave me behind! Bitch, you're lying, I know you are! Shut the fuck up, Moomy! Should I even call her that? It sounds wrong. Imagine having your mother as a friend, it'd be humiliating if any of my classmates saw me walk with my mom and brother in malls and not my friends, because I lack them. She told me I was good enough for now and I can improve, but not by "being miserable" because "I'm digging a deep hole I can't get out of".

I know she's been in many hardships, her parents divorced, financial issues, she couldn't have her dream job of being a doctor (she's an engineer now), yet she's never vented, because she's always been positive? That's some anime BS where the main guy says that! BS! I'm not digging a hole, am I? I'm telling the truth. Cynicism and hopelessness works because I'm not chasing fake happiness, I'm seeking the real truth. Again, it's embarrassing I'm having a "friendship" with my Moomy and not another person from class! Who even does that now? I don't even know anyone online! She's lying!

At the age of 45, finding myself entrenched in a troubling situation involving my 25-year-old nephew and the rest of our family, I could certainly use some outside perspectives, as this ordeal has left me feeling extremely distressed.

Last year proved to be challenging for my nephew as he lost his job and could no longer afford his share in a flat with friends. Having been closely involved in his upbringing and nurturing a deep bond with him over the years, I felt compelled to extend my help. I had recently acquired a house specifically for rental purposes, and I allowed him to reside there while he regained financial stability. Alongside this, I provided him with a cash gift of $3,000 to cover immediate living expenses.

A few months into this arrangement, my nephew secured a position at a prestigious tech company. Over the Thanksgiving dinner, he couldn't help but boast about his considerable starting salary, which surprisingly matched what I earn after a decade at my job. Naturally, I was thrilled and proud of his accomplishments.

With the arrival of spring, I felt it was appropriate for him to transition into his own place or start contributing rent for the house he occupied. Despite his apparent financial stability—indicated by his high salary—he vehemently refused, citing convenience and alleged financial constraints as reasons to continue staying rent-free. Confused by his resistance, I proposed a rental agreement priced slightly above my mortgage cost, significantly less than the market rate, which he also declined and subsequently reduced our interactions to a minimal level.

The tension escalated when my family persuaded me to serve him a 30-day eviction notice, legally notarized, which he outright ignored. During a maintenance visit to repaint the house, he reacted aggressively and damaged property. Left with no alternative, I initiated an eviction process. Amidst this turmoil, I discovered through a security camera that he had sold several of my stored valuables, prompting me to involve the police.

Things took a darker turn when he was apprehended coming back home under the influence, resulting in drug-related charges. Now, my family blames me for exacerbating his downfall, accusing me of knowing about his substance issues beforehand, despite his condition being revealed during the police intervention. They argue I should have resolved this privately.

Through this ordeal, I have tried to maintain a balance between support and discipline, yet I find myself overwhelmed by guilt and stress. It’s clear he overstepped many boundaries, but the familial backlash is difficult to bear.

In such a predicament, I often wonder how this would unfold if it were part of a reality TV show. Would the audience empathize with my efforts to help my nephew, or would they view my actions as too harsh, given the dramatic turn of events? It's curious how reality TV can skew perceptions of real-life crises, often highlighting intense family dynamics that resonate deeply with viewers.

Am I wrong for taking such steps?

My boyfriend and I have been dating for almost 4 months in the past couple weeks. He’s been really moody. I’m not sure what it is. I’ve asked him about it. I’ve explained that it’s making me feel down because he won’t explain and I feel useless as a girlfriend. The other day we were on call (luckily) as we haven’t called for a couple days and he was still upset so of course me being people pleaser I tried to make him laugh. I said that I was gonna hack and do school frame and spy on the campus cameras, (this is how we don’t take it seriously I would never do something like that) and he went into full detail of why I wasn’t gonna, and I told him that it was just a joke and that I was sorry. And then I said jokingly “you hate me, don’t you?” And he replied with “yeah, who wouldn’t hate a sensitive bitch like you” and I paused for almost 5 straight minutes wondering if you really said that or if I was just insane. he tried saying that he was just being sarcastic and that he didn’t mean it like that, but he yelled at me and I managed to squeeze out a “oh. Sorry.” And I hung up and cried myself myself to sleep. Ever since then he’s been really moody and I can’t even explain how different he is right now. I feel like he’s just lust. He only ever text me when he’s in a mood or when he wants something from me. I’m pretty much carrying the entire emotional relationship against me and him and just about a couple hours ago, he told me that he was cutting himself. I told him I wasn’t gonna be sensitive anymore. I told him to tell me what was going on as he wasn’t talking to me about anything and would just brush it off. I told him that I feel useless as a girlfriend. Which I really do. And how if he can’t talk to me who would he talk to my acknowledging? I am the only person ever talk to unless he’s hiding someone from me or people. I’ve told him I need to know that he can trust me and if he can’t, then I don’t know if we should be together anymore and I just asked him if he was gonna leave me because he has been showing no interest in me unless it’s for lust. I also feel like my body doesn’t excite him anymore. He’s really dry and always asked me to do something different and in person, he’s only ever talked about having sex. Never holding hands, never hugging never nothing only lust. I have told him that I don’t like the way he talks to me sometimes. I don’t think he realized what I meant. I’ve tried everything to do to go see him and he refuses to come see me even though he has nothing holding him back. Just he doesn’t want to. AITA for telling him that I don’t think he’s caring enough about me when I care too much about him? Even if he is in a bad place right now I still wanna feel special. I wanna feel loved. I’ve had my ups and downs and even I still push things away to comfort him. I feel like I’m giving up too much for him.

As the title stated. I'm 27, male, living with my narcissist mother. I'm severely mentally ill. I also may have a disability but I can't afford assessment. I can't leave because I have no money. Been consistently applying for jobs. No one wants to hire me. I'm tired, angry, frustrated, and hopeless. I can't commit suicide, because I have a cat.

My cat is the reason I'm even here this long. I love her to death. Her name is Melissa.

My mom is trying to kill her. I see her using toxic sprays that can harm her. She over feeds her. I educate her on why. She pretends to understand but will do it behind my back. When I confront her, she acts stupid like she doesn't know what I'm talking about. Consistently lies to my face.

This been 7 years... And it's getting changing me for the worse. I want to hit her but I can't do that to my mother.

I want to runaway, but I can't leave my cat alone with her.

My cat is my savior. All I ever want is just to have some form of financial freedom so I can leave my mom, block her out of my life, and have my kitty be in a safe space with me.

But I guess that's too much to ask for.

I'm scared to rehome her. I also don't want to rehome her....my cat is VERY aggressive around strangers. The thought od betraying her and rehoming her will make her not trust anyone. She's very defensive and territorial (she's spayed).

I don't know what to do.

I fear if I leave her to shelters, they will just euthanize her... And my god, the thought if that will kill me.

I have had an idea...but even in this ve t space, I'm not comfortable opening up. But if I turn 30 and I don't see any improvements. I have an idea to bring me and my cat peace that we deserve at last.

omg I don’t know why i’m on here I’m at band practice rn so I can’t actually talk face to face with someone about this but BASICALLY. a couple weeks back on my birthday my friend got PISS drunk despite me not wanting her to at this other friends house and she ended up throwing up everywhere for like five hours. it sucked. she said she’d make it up to me and hasn’t, and then half an hour ago had a go at me for being pissed at her all the time with no explanation. shes so weird. im so weird. our relationship is so fucking weird. guitarist and drummer tension ig. and she just talks like everything is normal but it’s not but how would she know??? I suck at communication and the conversation or her having a go at me ended like 30 minutes ago i cant just bring it up now and UGH oh my god I feel like an idiot. id go more into depth but I can’t be bothered. sos for terrible grammar im not reading this back

I want to start this off by saying that my dad isn't too bad most of the time. most of what he does, he does because he thinks it is the best thing for us. and a lot of the issues that I have with him are caused by the way that he was raised. I do love my dad, but sometimes he does things that hurt me a lot emotionally, even if it is unintentional.

the thing that I am really upset about right now is that he just threatened to shoot my dogs. I have a couple dogs that live inside the house. one of them has some issues with going potty inside the house. this is largely in part due to the fact that the lady who owned my dog before me never took her dogs outside, and trained them to use a litter box i side the house. now my dog never wants to go outside, but we do the best we can to make sure that she spends enough time out there. that being said, she still makes a mess I side every now and then. it is certainly not ideal, but i clean it up and move on with the day. well, today, she had another one of those accidents and my dad found it. he got all pissed off and threatened to unlike both of my dogs. I doubt he would even actually do this, but it still really hurts to have to picture my life without them in it. I love them so much, and I can't understand why he would threaten to take that away. he saw how hurt I was when our past dog passed. I could barely function, and I still miss her every day. I know that he thinks that saying that is just tough love and will make the problem better, but all that it does is cause unnecessary hurt and resentment. I wish I could talk to him about this, but he is the kind of person who doesn't want to listen to his teenage daughter once he gets an idea in his head because he wants to be the man of the house. I have tried talking to him about these issues, but he never listens. so I have just given up. I know he doesn't mean anything by it, but that doesn't make it hurt any less. especially since he knows how hurt I would be if anything happened to them.

the second big issue that I need to talk about is the church that he makes us go to. it is a Christian church, but it is horrible. it uses heavy fear mongering tactics, while preaching about love. the church is also quite sexist. they talk about love all the time, yet anytime anyone stops going to church or believes something different, they will turn their backs on them. I have grown up seeing my cousins stop going to church, and then hearing my family talk about how they are going down the wrong path and how terrible it is. they act like the worst thing a person could do is stop going to church. then when someone tries to ask a question and understand what is going on, they aren't met with love. they are met with yelling and anger because they are questioning the church. this to me seems the opposite of love and understanding. then, people preach about how we are worthless and there is no other good church out there. they also have extremely strict rules that if you don't follow, will keep you out of heaven. and of course, those rules are more strict for women. we are judged for not dressing a certain way, or for even being outgoing and vocal about your opinions. I can't wait to leave the stupid church, but i know that my dad is going to be upset with me. and then I am going to have to explain why I left, which is going to be terrifying. so unfortunately, I am stuck until I move out. I don't think he would disown me or anything for leaving, but he would definitely be upset. and I already know exactly how they are going to gossip about me. and don't get me wrong, religion has done a lot of good for a lot of people. but it has also been used as a tool to hurt and control a lot of people. I was brainwashed for the longest time to believe that I had such a wonderful family, and that I was so lucky that I was born into this church. then I started to realize how messed up everything was, and how messed up my extended family is that goes there. I don't have time to get into all the details right now, but just know that it is really bad. now, I can't stand anything to do with religion. it has been shoved down my throat so much all my life, that I can't have anything to do with it. which is tough because I would love to be part of a good, loving church community, but I just can't do that right now, and probably won't be able to for a long time. anyway, thanks for reading all of this, I hope you have a great day

I’m not sure if I’m in the wrong here and I need some outside perspectives. For some background, I (24f) and my friend (24f) were both raised Catholic, but she converted to Islam about four years ago because she got married. We grew up together and did everything together, including our first communion and being baptized a week apart. I’ve never believed in just one true religion and have explored many.

Now to the issue: I started learning Arabic while in the army, and a few months ago I reached a level where I could read the entire Qur'an. This is when I first noticed a problem. My friend's husband (let's call him A’s Husband and my friend A) joked that I was a better Muslim than A. A then burst into tears and yelled at her husband for hurting her feelings, saying how hard she works to be a perfect Muslimah. He apologized profusely and left the room. I made sure she was okay before leaving. The next day she said she overreacted due to pregnancy hormones. It sounded weird but okay. Fast forward to now, she’s about to have her baby and asks me to babysit her other kid while she delivers. I agreed because the kid is like a nephew to me. The entire time the kid was whining and crying, so I got an idea. I have trouble sleeping and listen to recitations of the Qur'an. It helps me fall asleep and I thought it might be good to have it playing during a stressful experience. I turned on Spotify, found a peaceful recitation, and the kid fell asleep instantly. I fell asleep too until I heard knocking at the door. A’s husband said, “What a fantastic idea to play the Qur'an during this blessed occasion, I swear (my name) you’re a better Muslim than us.” A then exploded. She said a lot of hurtful things, including, “Allah doesn’t love lesbian tattooed sluts” (I’m bi and have only been with my boyfriend). She then told me to stop pretending to be Muslim and either stop my sinful ways or stop appropriating her culture. I left immediately, thinking it was just her being stressed. Today, I texted her asking if she was okay, and she responded with, “Don’t text me until you apologize for appropriating Muslim culture.”

Should I apologize? I don’t feel like I did anything wrong, but have I been appropriating Muslim culture?

I wonder how things would have played out if we were on a reality show. Would people see me as the villain for unintentionally hurting my friend, or would they see her as overreacting and being unfair? It’s hard to know how our private issues would be judged in the public eye.

[Translated from Spanish. Reminder: IIWIARS is English only]

I’ve always been very insecure and jealous in my relationship, somehow he made me feel that way, even though he never did anything wrong. I have his Instagram logged into my phone and I was always checking what he was doing. Until I decided to check his TikTok video history. I found a series of videos of a beautiful woman. I said the girl’s name to him and asked who she was, he said he didn’t know her, and I kept insisting, saying I knew he’d watched her. He said he thought she was pretty. Now I feel insufficient, stupid, ugly, trashy, and everything bad there is. I don’t have the courage to break up, and I’ve already cried a lot and he comforted me, apologized, and all that. What do you think I should do? But he always knew I felt insecure because I always opened up to him, but I know there wasn’t much to do, because he never gave me a reason to feel insecure or suspicious. It’s very hard to break up because a big part of the time I’m with him, I’m happy.

Heyah! Story remembered by my mom, experienced by my mom, me, my aunt, and my grandma.

I was age 5. My mom and I went on a trip from West to East Coast. Why? To visit my Aunt for the holidays. We planned to see the Lion King on Broadway. It was amazing! But that's really the only fun that was had on that trip.

My mom planned for us to stay in New York for about a week. I was on Winter vacation from school.

But...

The whole time it forking rained!!! It was raining buckets!! Cat's and dogs I tells ya!!! And no... It wasn't raining men🤣!

But...

Of course on the day we were set to leave... The sky opened and the sun showed itself to my mom's middle finger!!

And that's the story!!

I have undianosed dyscalculia, and it really just overall sucks a lot. I take a lot longer to get things done in math class, and I've even gone to dislike games that everyone considers fun because I can never contribute as well as my teammates. Ever since I was about six I've kind of known that something was wrong, but every time my parents tried convincing me that I was good at math and just talking down on myself, even though I could hardly understand the concepts. it just kept getting worse as time went on, though, and now I have no idea how to bring something like that up. My math teacher has expectations for where the class should be, and I'm not there at all, if it weren't for two other people in the class then we would have way harder lessons. I've had a friend call me stupid (in a friendly joking kind of way, not at all knowing about any of this because we always joke about me being terrible at math), and even though it used to be a joke now it just hurts. I'm scared for next year because I know it's just going to get harder, and I don't think my parents are going to help get me diagnosed because they genuinely belive theres nothing wrong (I've had to have a doctor tell them I had anxiety way higher than people my age for them to belive me, which makes me think they don't trust me or just listen to me).

It's gotten to the point where I genuinely feel really dumb and stupid, even though I know I can't really help it. it also doesn't help that everything just slips out of my head, so if I do ever figure something out I can never remember and have to start all over.

So, here I am, sitting in my messy room, trying to figure out if I’m just some person who’s a little slow on the uptake when it comes to feelings or if I’m actually asexual. To be honest, I really don’t know. I mean, I’m 17, and all my friends are out there exploring their “sexual awakenings” or whatever they call it, but for me, it’s like a big ol’ void. Like, I don’t even know what I’m missing. I get that everyone’s on this wild ride of hormones and romantic entanglements, and there’s me, standing on the sidelines like I’m stuck at a video game level that won’t load. My friends casually toss around terms like “crush” and “hookup” while I'm over here thinking, “why bother?” It’s like I’m reading a manual in a different language that nobody thought to translate for me.

The other day, my buddy was all hyped up about this girl he liked, and he was telling me what he thought would happen. He kept dropping lines about “chemistry” and “sparks,” and I just couldn’t relate. Every time I hear someone say, “you’ll know when it happens,” I roll my eyes so hard I’m surprised I don’t see my brain. I mean, what does that even mean? Do I need to sacrifice a goat or something to get this so-called “spark”? I’ve tried to be interested; I’ve flicked through dating apps, swiped here and there, and honestly, it feels like a chore. Like, I’m trying to watch a movie that everyone claims is a masterpiece, but I’m just sitting there wondering when the good part starts. My mind wanders to the definition of asexuality, and I catch myself thinking that maybe I fit that description. But then I wonder—am I just overthinking, or is it real? Am I just taking a little longer to get to the party?

I’ve read enough articles, seen plenty of videos to know that asexuality isn’t just “being picky” or something you grow out of when you hit puberty; it's a legitimate orientation. But it gnaws at me. Am I really asexual or just a late bloomer who’s scared of rejection? I mean, every time the topic of sex comes up, my brain goes into this autopilot mode where I’m nodding along, but inside I’m just screaming, “This isn't for me!” It feels like I’m meant to be a part of this club, but they won’t let me through the door, and I’m honestly starting to think I might not even want to go in. Maybe that’s the crux of it—this nagging feeling that says, “why do I have to be labeled at all?” So, dear reader, I turn this back to you: Am I asexual, just confused, or frankly, who cares? Do you ever feel this disconnect, or is it just me spiraling down this rabbit hole?

"I will love you forever

my love is infinite"

my bf said something in front of some people who did not need to hear it. It was super upsetting. and now he feels bad bc I ignored it when he tried to apologized.

should I apologize?

Let's try this again, since when I wrote yesterday, no one really understood what I meant. I'll elaborate to my first post called, "Rambling with a 13 year old girl". My nickname is Tomato, since that was what my old friends used to call me. My old friends have spoken badly about me and I don't feel comfortable being in the group anymore. I think very deeply for someone who is 13 years old, but, of course, I am not fully mature. I still don't see meaning in doing some work and I blame other people for things I do. I am mature in the way that I don't fall in love with people for no reason; I look at their personality first. The same goes with friends. I take record of bad traits in people. Because of this, I have come to a realization. No one in my tiny private school is someone I want to be associated with. Outside of school, I only have 2 friends. Those 2 friends are constantly busy and 1 of them lives pretty far away. Sure, with all of this going on, I could have faked being in love with Gold just to take my mind off of life. Even so, I have shown all the signs of being in love. I, at first, idolized him. I thought he was perfect. Then, I disliked him when I saw his flaws. And finally, I love him now, with his imperfections and all. He stands up for me. He was raised well. He is hardworking. Gold is the first piece of gold I saw in the cave of life and an explorer snatched the gold away when I wasn't looking. No one, not even my family, understands and they never will.

I think I might be the floater friend. I used to have a friend group of four people including me. I was actually the last one to be included, and I tend to be the quiet one while the other three are the ones who talk all the time. But that doesn’t mean I never react to their messages, I do. I’m just not the type who likes to initiate conversations all the time, especially when there’s nothing happening in my life.

But I can sense them slowly drifting away from me. I feel like one of them is the “leader” of the group, and she’s the one who kind of decides where the relationship goes between all of us. I recently found out they went back to their old group chat where I’m not included. I asked if something was going on, and we talked it out, but in the end they still ended up talking only among themselves.

Honestly, it really sucks. I feel excluded, but there’s nothing more I can do because I’ve already addressed it, and everything after that feels out of my control. I guess I’ll just let this friendship slowly fall apart.