PostSecret

Sunday Secrets

Sun, 17 Jan 2021 05:47:03 GMT

PostSecret Virtual Event

Sun, 17 Jan 2021 05:46:49 GMT

Reclaiming Lives After Dark

Virtual PostSecret Event!

February 9, 2021 | 5:30 – 7 PM (Central) | Tickets & Details

100% of all ticket sales will go to the Centerstone CARES Fund.

The CARES (Client Assistance and Resources for Essential Supports) Fund provides immediate support to clients to help remove Social Determinants of Health, keeping the path open for optimal recovery.

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Over the holidays, CARES Funds where used to:

Help 58 children and parents. Each child received three gifts through the Christmas gift drive.

Aid a single mom with children ages 6, 7, and 10 who was in crisis due to a job loss.

Help a single mom with three daughters who just started her new job but now is on COVID quarantine due to exposure from work.

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Last year, the CARES Fund distributed over $100,000 including: Emergency housing, School supplies, Gas cards to travel to job interviews and Personal hygiene products.

Classic Secrets

Sun, 17 Jan 2021 05:46:33 GMT

Sunday Secrets

Sat, 09 Jan 2021 15:23:00 GMT

Homemade holiday cards from strangers are even better than cowbells.

Animated Secrets Shared at PostSecret Live! Events

Sat, 09 Jan 2021 13:10:00 GMT

Classic Secrets

Sat, 09 Jan 2021 01:11:00 GMT

Sunday Secrets

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 06:19:55 GMT

Secrets From Afar

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 06:19:34 GMT

Secrets have been mailed from all seven continents.

The postcards arrive in many languages, some unidentifiable.

The surprise from translated secrets is how similar they are to our own.

Some of these secrets have never been translated.

“I still haven’t found what I’m looking for…”

I like wondering what they mean, what they could mean.

How would you interpret these mysterious confessions?

One secret when translated read, “I’m mailing this card because I get the feeling that I could meet the person who will change my life on the way to the post office.“

Classic Secrets

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 06:19:17 GMT

I’m not gonna give up.

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 06:18:56 GMT

Dear Frank,
One Sunday this past November (2020), there was a secret posted on the website about someone making a “reasons to stay alive” journal. I saw that the week that my depression got so bad again I was suicidal. I saw that secret and decided to make a “reasons to stay alive” journal for myself, and had all of my close friends write me messages in it for me to read when I’m struggling.I want to say THANK YOU and YOU’RE NOT ALONE to whoever’s secret that was! And thank you for posting it Frank.
Sincerely J,
I’m not gonna give up.

Dear J,

I’m so glad you wrote.

I’m excited to share your soulful story on the blog tomorrow – I know your message will be an inspiration.

Thanks for your courage and I’m so glad you are on the planet tonight!!

I’m not going to give up with you.

-Frank

PS: Here are 3 reasons from me: laughing so hard it hurts, feeling better after a hangover, hoping there’s still time.

(from the PostSecret Community, I’ll post more when I’m up tomorrow.)

Sunsets. Cuddles with my dog. The feeling of driving with the window down while the perfect song is playing.

dogs. books. in-n-out.

a good cup of coffee, a good book before bed, and a smile from a stranger that I helped.

Banh mi, all the books I haven’t read, and watching pelicans

Kittens, puppies, and kids (baby goats).

The ocean; summer; football

The podcasts I’m listening to. The dogs I work with. My fiance.

Sunrises, sunsets, dogs.

A clear night sky where you can see the stars, the feeling in your stomach when you ride roller coasters, sitting on a park bench with a coffee and an oversized sweater on the first fall day.

popcorn, road trip playlists and nachos.

My daughter, my daughter, my daughter.

PostSecret: New Mailing Address

Sun, 03 Jan 2021 06:17:50 GMT

Sunday Secrets

Sun, 27 Dec 2020 04:33:00 GMT

$25K Raised for IMAlive, Thanks!

Sat, 26 Dec 2020 17:37:00 GMT

It’s hard to accept help, especially when you need it the most. Sometimes it’s easier to share with people you don’t know than ones you’re close too. You’ll feel better after you tell someone. I did.

I would never tell anyone this, but I read that whole story hoping that she was already dead when she was found. I killed myself once 4 years ago. I died in the hospital. But then the doctors brought me back. I’ve never been so disappointed as I was when I came out of the coma. Dying felt so good. I never wanted to be here. I’m still really upset about it. They took away my chance to get what I really wanted. I know people would say “that means there’s a purpose for your life” or some other stuff like that. I don’t want a purpose. I WANT to not be here. I hope she has found peace in life and is happy now.

(Thanks for sharing this and your permission to re-post. I hope a day will come when you find peace too.)

I never thought that I would have to call. Or that I would. But it was that day. I didn’t care. I was going to end it for real. Off the bridge, or in front of a car, although I didn’t want to hurt anyone else. In the cold light of day even. But I thought I would just call, as a last last resort, even though I was so angry. So sure I didn’t belong anywhere and that no one cared or would care. I’d be doing them all a favor. But I called, and a very nice young woman spoke to me as long as I let her. I was so angry and probably hard on her, but she was so patient and never touched back at me. Truthfully I don’t recall all that was said, I just remember feeling everything so strongly that I could not manage – and talking with her made it just bearable enough to walk back to my hotel room. And sob. And go home. I didn’t know I had severe PTSD. I got help and have a wonderful life to envy. It took awhile of course, and there’s lots to unpack still. But this patient woman who I am certain felt she did not do her job that day with me – well I just want her to know that she did. She really, really did. All I want to do now is help people who helped me.

Holiday Secrets

Sat, 26 Dec 2020 17:08:00 GMT

Sunday Secrets

Sat, 19 Dec 2020 20:46:00 GMT

Holiday Story

Sat, 19 Dec 2020 20:10:00 GMT

—post on PostSecret Facebook page—
Dear PostSecret,
To the person who feels horrible for telling their child there is no Santa. My son just wrote Santa last night asking for that special present. And I didn’t have the heart to tell him that “Santa’s” back injury has kept her from waiting tables these past two weeks, and with no child support check these past 7 months, all the other bills are adding up too. And the local charity is saying the application deadline is past, and they can’t guarantee anything specific. My secret: I wish Santa Claus was real, so on Christmas, no child would have to go without, and no parent would have to feel like they failed their child.
-Amber

—post on PostSecret Facebook page—
Hey PostSecret,
I just read the response the woman wrote about not being able to get the “special present” for her son. I know I can’t do this for every child out there, but if you’d tell her that there’s someone out there willing to try and buy their son that gift, then I’d appreciate it very much. I’d have to know what the gift is I’m a college student with a limited budget, but I don’t want her to feel like a failure for having an injury. It would be a lovely Christmas present for me if I were able to put a smile on the faces of two strangers on Christmas morning.
-Thanks,
Molly

—post on PostSecret Facebook page—
Hi Amber,
If you set up a PayPal account, I’ll contribute to it, and invite others to also.
thanks,
-Frank

—post on PostSecret Facebook page—
Frank,
First off let me tell you how thankful I am to you and your wonderful offer. I was not in any way expecting any sort of help. I just wanted to let this person know that they’re not alone. I did set up a PayPal account under this email address.
Gratefully yours,
-Amber

—post on PostSecret Facebook page—
Hi Amber,
Thanks for providing us with a way to help you give your son the Christmas all children deserve. I just made a contribution for you and expect that you might get a few more from other PostSecret visitors.
Happy Holidays,
-Frank

—post on PostSecret Facebook page—
Hey Molly,
Check the website again. You can help,
-Frank

—post on PostSecret Facebook page—
Dear PostSecret,
I made a donation and I was surprised at how good it felt. You don’t have to be a millionaire to feel the joy of being generous.
-Molly

—post on PostSecret Facebook page—
Frank,
Santa Claus is real and alive and well. He lives in you and others like you all over the world. I’m overwhelmed by the love and generosity strangers have shown my family today. I never would have imagined it would get as large a response in such little time as it has. Not only will I be able to afford the present he asked for, but clothes and other necessities I’ve been putting off. I’ve got what I need, so please remove my PayPal account from PostSecret and I urge anyone who wants to help someone in need to get in touch with their local charities. Thank you for making my wish come true,
-Amber

[from a series of social media posts in 2008, later presented in ‘PostSecret The Show’.]

—email—
Hi Frank,
I saw all of the comments below this secret, and wanted to share with you a little-known-secret about the United States Postal Service. USPS has a program called Operation Santa that collects all of the letters to Santa and saves them. Charitable citizens are invited to adopt a letter and fulfill a wish here. I hope this program continues to grow so it can help people like Amber make their kids’ holiday dreams come true.

Best,

Another Amber

Holiday Secrets

Sat, 19 Dec 2020 20:00:00 GMT

Sunday Secrets

Sun, 13 Dec 2020 04:54:12 GMT

IMAlive Rescue on the PostSecret App

Sun, 13 Dec 2020 04:53:47 GMT

Shortly after the first Postsecret app was released, a million+ secrets were shared, and one life was saved, heroically, by Heather Stanton and a virtual community of strangers.

All social media apps have a secret you may not know, they all have moderators who screen every post. Facebook, for example, has over 30,000 contractors reviewing every word and image shared on their platform.

Heather Stanton was one of the moderators reviewing secrets on the PostSecret app. She was the first to see the series of anonymous confessions from the young woman who was describing how she would kill herself.

When she saw the troubling messages, all she knew was that they had originated in Wisconsin. She immediately contacted her fiancé and showed him an image that had prescription pills in the background and the words, “end it all”.

As they frantically tried to located where the sender might be, they noticed dozens of messages of hope directed to the woman coming from PostSecret app users all around the world.

Heather reached out to IMAlive and the PostSecret community for help finding the girl before it was too late. In the images, they noticed the word, “Higgins”, a specific color of floor tile, and the color of the drapes.

Together they deduced that the sender was in a large school dormitory named “Higgins”. They called the school and reached emergency services who explained that they needed to know the room number, or area, before they could send help.

Heather carefully went back over the images. Working with someone who had lived in the “Higgins” dorms, they used the shadow cast by a grape soga bottle to identify what part of the building to send the wellness check to.

Heather said, As the minutes passed, it felt surreal waiting along with all the others who had played a role to find out if she would be okay.

The shadow cast by the bottle had been the key that allowed the emergency team to eventually find her room. When they knocked on her door there was no answer. They knocked again, nothing. They broke down her door and found her unconscious on the floor. They rushed her to the nearest hospital where they pumped her stomach and she regained consciousness. Her life was saved that night by a group of people as far away as Australia. None of them knew her – but they all cared.

Heather reflected, It made me feel proud of the work each person did who contributed just what was needed. I hope the person was able to continue to fight, and take one day at a time. It would be interesting to know the rest of the story.

Reese Butler the founder of IMAlive said, Imagine all the people who came together for this person they had never met. How someone on the team recognized the features and styles in the dorm room because she had lived in the building. How they used every clue they had to get her help just in time. It was quite a miracle.

If you, or someone you know, is thinking about hurting themselves. There is hope and help 24/7. Call 1-800-442-HOPE (4673) or visit IMAlive.org

Because of the holiday season and pandemic the demands on IMAlive have never been greater. A $25 donation sponsors 25 chats. A $250 donation sponsors a certified hotline/textline volunteer. (For a limited time, I will personally match donations dollar for dollar so together we can save twice as many lives.) Learn More & Donate Here

(Thank you anonymous, I matched your donation, FW)
(Thank you April, I matched your donation, FW)
(Thank you Greti, I matched your donation, FW)
(Thank you Kate, I matched your donation, FW)
(Thank you Mimi, I matched your donation, FW)
(Thank you Virginia, I matched your donation, FW)
(We are already over $1,500! Thanks!)
(Thank you Katherine, I matched your donation, FW)
(Thank you Rebecca, I matched your donation, FW)
(Thank you Shanna, I matched your donation, FW)
(Thank you Angela, I matched your donation, FW)
(Thank you Robinsdalle, I matched your donation, FW)
(Thank you Brittany, I matched your donation, FW)
(Thank you Shannon, I matched your donation, FW)
(Thank you Sky, I matched your donation, FW)
(Thank you Charish, I matched your donation, FW)
(Thank you Beth, I matched your donation, FW)
(Thank you Janny, I matched your donation, FW)
(Thank you Kimberly, I matched your donation, FW)
(Thank you Diane, I matched your donation, FW)
(Thank you Roseanna, I matched your donation, FW)
(Thank you Anna, I matched your donation, FW)
(With my matching funds we are already over $5,000, Thanks!)

(Headed to bed now, So excited to see your generosity tomorrow morning!)

Special thanks to Tellinga.com for helping us tell this story with handcrafted illustrations.

Classic Secrets

Sun, 13 Dec 2020 04:53:26 GMT