"I truly cannot stop buying books. I’ve spent like $500 on them this year."

and other selected secrets

remember, in this context:

• secrets are the shadowy things that we want to share but might be tempted to hide because of shame/fear/social obligations.

• sparkles are the things that make you feel most alive - little moments of joy/satisfaction/contentment that you wish you could bottle up.

click here to submit your own secrets/sparkles anonymously anytime.

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loosely defined themes of the week: familial disappointment, friendship breakups,

secrets

I’m grown but my parents are getting divorced and I’m scared.

I got laid off and so thankful to not take the dread of that job into 2025.

I wanna get my tubes tied bc election but also I’m scared I’ll want a kid? But I’m SURE!

My friend and I broke up and I don’t care bc I kinda think she caused me to be so bitchy.

I just got a new puppy and I’m scared my cats think I don’t love them.

I resent my bf for pressuring me to get an abortion and I’m kinda glad he feels guilty abt it.

I feel sad today.

I can’t stand being in public after this election. I hate everyone.

I’m going to ask my baby daddy to give me space as he is so negative.

The pressure to have kids is eating me alive.

I learned all my bf’s illnesses but he won’t give my illnesses the time of day.

As a second year nursing student, my abortion saved my life.

I work too much and I wish I had prioritized dating. Being single is so lonely.

I’m afraid I will be single forever.

I had my first psychotic break a few weeks back and feel terrified that I can never be “normal” again.

Unemployed, two months until our wedding, and partner has now quit their job. I think I resent them.

Love my kids, but sometimes I regret my choices.

Currently fighting with my boyfriend about how we might parent our future children.

I’m still worried I’m a lesbian in denial.

I think I might have some chronic illness but I’m afraid my family will see me as an attention seeker so I don’t talk about it.

The owner of a well known (on ig) dog rescue was SO RUDE to me today! She informed me I am ‘unsafe to speak to’ when I called her out on her privilege. (She was discussing politics and seems to be pleased with the results).

I got hit by a truck 3 months ago and my sex life hasn’t recovered from the trauma.

My husband doesn’t satisfy anymore and I’m thinking about cheating.

My life feels like it’s on hold waiting for layoffs to be announced at work.

I’m a lesbian but my husband thinks I’m still bisexual.

I’m scared I’m going to fail a drug test for my new job that I’m really excited about.

Married to a man with 2 kids. Together 11 years. He knows I’m bi, but think I might be a lesbian.

I messaged someone I used to have a *severe* crush on for the first time in a decade & it’s going well!

Will take my public school job over the corporate office any day.

I’m heartbroken after breaking off a friendship but I know it was the right thing to do.

Juggling MS and a baby is harder than I could have anticipated.

We are potty training and I’m so sick of my 3 year old right now.

Currently majorly struggling with an eating disorder.

My mom voted for Trump and I don’t know how I’ll ever get over it.

I stopped loving my ex a year before we broke up.

I had gay sex for the first time. So many things make sense now & there’s nobody I can tell.

I have so much more of a problem with alcohol than anyone knows. I think. Maybe I’m fooling myself?

I’ve been lying to my therapist about my meds and idk what to do.

My mom is a 2x Trumper and no matter how hard I try I can’t get over it.

I hate my sisters husband.

I regret leaving NYC.

I’m waiting for my abusive father to die. I can’t wait.

I really want to quit my high stress job, but am afraid of reduced income and status.

Nobody knew I was pregnant so nobody knows I recently had a miscarriage.

I want to be able to quit my job & really focus in on myself & learn how to be happy again.

Sometimes I just need alone time without my boyfriend so I tell him I have exams.

Outwardly able bodied but invisibly disabled from chronic illnesses and nobody knows.

I wish the world would pay me to stay home w my kids. But also sometimes I hate it.

Only my partner knows I’ve had debilitating pelvic pain for two years. I feel ashamed.

I asked my crush out (I’m 34 btw) and I did such a bad job he didn’t realize what I was doing.

I’m in love with my sister’s best friend.

I love nursing my baby but I can’t wait to be done.

I know my abusive ex saw my wedding post with the man of my dreams, his friend told me.

cw: SA. I was raped on New Years by my cousin’s best friend. He doesn’t know.

I haven’t talked to my parents since the election and I wish I felt guilty but it’s just peace.

Got the sads big time and there’s no clear reason why. Very teary.

I’m terrified my IVF transfer was unsuccessful and I’m too afraid to take a pregnancy test.

The (consenting) sexting I do with tinder randos now that I’m single…

I really want a second baby but I don’t think we can afford it. It’s killing me.

My boyfriend and I had a mutual break up and I am so incredibly happy about it.

My pelvic pain is so bad I’m afraid I’ll never want to have sex again.

I made an expensive mistake at work and am convinced I’m going to get fired for it.

My wife went into a deep depression after the 2016 election & I’m so worried it will happen again.

My chronic illness feels like it’s getting worse in very acute ways.

I got married five months ago and my husband is telling me he doesn’t want children. He always knew I wanted them and now I feel like I might’ve fucked up by getting hitched.

My mum has cancer and I don’t think my bf really *cares*.

I have MAGA in-laws and wish my husband would cut them off completely. They’re toxic.

My partner’s family is very maga-loving and idk if I can handle it anymore.

I’m in love with someone who I’m scared will never vote to protect me.

I returned the final bag of my ex’s belongings today and my heart feels so so heavy.

I want my friend to dump her fiance. It’s easier to break an engagement than a marriage.

20 weeks pregnant and scared shitless after the election results. Very afraid we’re making a mistake.

I hate my fiance’s friend.

Really need to leave my husband.

Fanfiction gets me turned on.

After 7 years I restarted my bipolar treatment, and I miss it. Normal feelings are so boring.

I knew my supervisor cheated on her ex-wife a week before I quit and never told her.

I don’t know if it’s ocd or if I actually should break up with my boyfriend.

I am starting to catch feelings for my FWB-friend and it scares me.

I don’t know whether I’m developing or sacrificing my future by staying in my 11 year relationship.

Feeling distance with my best friend and now she’s preggo and I have fear of missing out on the baby/being an aunt like I thought I would be.

Nearly 30 and never had a partner. I feel like it’s too late bc I don’t know where to begin.

If it were up to me I’d reconcile w my ex - he dumped me 2 years ago.

I wish my bf would make an effort to go out together that’s NOT the pub we live above.

I’m supposed to be on a break from my boyfriend but I’m still seeing him.

I hung up all of my pro-abortion artwork and am waiting for my mother to notice.

I’m scared of my parents dying like all the time.

People think I have a special cookie recipe but it’s really the one on the choc chip bag.

I feel stuck career wise and not sure where to go.

I think I’m falling in love but it’s so new and I don’t want anyone to think I’m rushing things.

I’m pregnant but we haven’t told our family yet. Waiting for the first appt is driving me crazy.

I fear I will never figure out what my “dream job” is.

My boyfriend’s mom hates me out of nowhere after 2.5 years of being close idk what to do.

My partner is dating their coworker and I don’t think I’m polyam enough for this.

I wish I’d married someone who was more of a feminist - I feel so sad he can’t see what I do.

My ex friend reached out to rekindle our friendship and I’m genuinely not sure what to do.

I’m afraid to acknowledge my home situation. That it will need to be over when I do.

Wish I could ignore the fact that ex & his wife are expecting. Hubby and I have been TTC.

I drank 5 drinks yesterday the most I’ve had in months and I feel like garbage today.

I’ve been married almost 10 years. It’s been almost that long since we’ve had sex.

I feel like everyone around me is falling in love and I’m just falling behind.

I wanted to be pregnant but I didn’t expect it to be so hard (I’m only 6 weeks).

Engaged to a man but checking out my masc gym instructor fantasizing of a different life.

I often manifest my ex to contact me just so I can spiral.

My best friend/roommate gave me 8 days notice they were moving out and I won’t speak to them. I spent over 1k moving them across the country and in w me. I feel so betrayed.

Within 1 week my grandpa is dying in the hospital and now my parents are separating.

I’m worried about my partner’s drinking and don’t know what to do about it.

I really really miss the friends I had in college.

I’m yearning for a man again.

I quit my shitty job to pursue a career and can’t get anything meaningful.

I like this person but I don’t know how to talk to them because he goes to a different school.

I’m embarrassed to tell ppl I gave up on my dreams & am back at school to be a teacher.

I compromised at work in a way that didn’t feel great and ended up not even being worth it.

I called my neighbor a dumb bitch after she put up a Trump sign the day after the election.

I’m depressed, on three medications & therapy, and not getting better.

I’m struggling but I’m worried about overwhelming my therapist right now.

I had my abortion at 17 and sometimes wonder how life would be if I hadn’t, that’s ok <3.

My mom coughed in my face to give me Covid intentionally. In front of my kids.

I don’t think I want to have a 2nd child and I feel guilt/shame for not providing a sibling.

My boyfriend asked me to rehome my cat due to allergies & I picked the cat.

I had a dream about kissing my best friend and I can’t stop thinking about it.

I really need to stop drinking.

I think I’m falling for my friend who’s moving to a diff city soon.

Our bank account is always in the negatives.

I have a massive zit on my ass and it’s killing me.

I wish my life was different.

I think I hate all men and I don’t know what that means for me and my husband’s future.

Want to try again with my ex but scared 2 tell my friends who were there for me thru it all.

I moved across the country three months ago and I already feel like it was a mistake.

One of my friends is dating a man I had a 1 night stand 3sum with, do I tell her? No, Right? I don’t want her to find out later and be mad at me for not saying anything.

I want to post political stuff all the time but I’m scared some1 might complain to my job.

I want to build my own family but the current politics make me so scared to start my queer family.

My house is so messy and I feel like I’m drowning.

I want to quit being a doctor and move to the middle of nowhere.

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Also: I was a guest on the Kids or Child Free podcast! Listen to the episode here.

xoxo,

your favorite becca

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Hi friends, thank you so much for being here! It means a lot to me. If you enjoy my writing, I’d love it if you’d share A Little Something Sweet with the people you love. I also invite you to upgrade to a paid subscription, which allows me to keep creating here and elsewhere. I’m so grateful, xoxo.

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things that permanently live at the bottom of my posts:

Submit your secrets/sparkly moments here.

If you need help accessing abortion care, click here or here.

Grab a copy of my choose-your-own-adventure cookbook, Baking by Feel, here!