tangerine queen

Posted by Frank

https://postsecret.com/2025/07/27/postsecret-backstory/

https://postsecret.com/?p=49829

Dear Frank,

I sent this secret to you 13 years ago at the age of 19. That year you selected it for the Christmas themed secrets on your website. In the years since I sent this secret, I wish I could say suicide never crossed my mind again. But it did and I spent a good part of my 20’s deeply struggling with my mental health. For so long it felt like a failure that after sending that secret, there were a lot of moments where I actually didn’t feel glad I didn’t kill myself.

However, throughout the years I’ve learned and come to accept that maybe for me, a person who has struggled with their mental health their whole life, and most likely always will, that maybe there isn’t exactly one light at the end of the tunnel and no one moment when everything falls into place and I never have desires to leave this life. Rather there are countless tunnels with breaks of light scattered throughout them.

And those breaks of light are what I’m always glad I stuck around for. For every time I wanted to end my life, I have 20 reasons I’m glad I didn’t-

Still getting to see my favorite band that saved my life perform all these years later. Graduating undergrad and grad school. The feeling I got when I stood at the top of the world at my first national park. Falling in love with my first love. Meeting my soulmate best friend in college. Seeing the pyramid in Mexico, dancing through Lavender fields in France, eating pasta in the piazza in Italy. The day I met my dog for the first time.

I have a house now with my own art studio, a partner of 8 years, a crazy Husky, backyard chickens, a garden. I became a therapist myself and work with a lot of folks going through what I went through. I still read postsecrets.

I have a 401k, health insurance, bills, a credit score, a budget. I go grocery shopping every Sunday.

And while the latter half of those are not the most enjoyable things per se, it often feels like a miracle I have gotten to and get to experience them because younger me never imagined myself functioning enough to experience any of it, let alone living long enough to.

I’m here. I am still alive. I’m doing well day to day considering the deep struggles with mental health I’ve had my whole life and where I used to be. And 13 years later, I’m still glad I wasn’t successful in killing myself and that I’m alive.

Warmly, with gratitude.

Thanks for sharing your hopeful message. So glad you got to see the rest of your story. Not everyone gets a happy ending, but I do know that those who experience the most suffering and frustration early in life have the potential to feel the most joy and accomplishment later.

The post PostSecret BackStory appeared first on PostSecret.

https://postsecret.com/2025/07/27/postsecret-backstory/

https://postsecret.com/?p=49829

Posted by Frank

https://postsecret.com/2025/07/20/sunday-secrets-563/

https://postsecret.com/?p=49752

The post Sunday Secrets appeared first on PostSecret.

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https://postsecret.com/?p=49752

Posted by Frank

https://postsecret.com/2025/07/20/street-secrets-2/

https://postsecret.com/?p=27421

The post Street Secrets appeared first on PostSecret.

https://postsecret.com/2025/07/20/street-secrets-2/

https://postsecret.com/?p=27421