Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

After a year of begging, I got my kid a kitten for Christmas. But within a week, I realized the kitten was more trouble than I expected. Food disappeared from the counter, pillows were shredded, and my favorite plant was mysteriously tipped over. I reached my breaking point when I walked into the kitchen to…

At my wedding, my mother-in-law said she objected to our marriage because she didn’t think I was good enough for her son. Hearing this, my horrified father-in-law stood up and shouted, “Happy April Fool’s Day!” The entire room erupted in laughter, the tension breaking like a dam. I laughed so hard I almost cried, and…

My DIL and I never got along, but I had to invite her to a family gathering. She brought a pie. “I made it just for you,” she said with a smile. The pie tasted strange, so I took a closer look, and my blood ran cold: inside the pie was a piece of plastic…

Years ago, on Christmas eve 2001, I was in tears: I couldn’t afford a gift for my 8 y.o. boy. That night, the doorbell rang, and there was a box wrapped in newspaper. It had a new Walkman inside. We had no idea who brought it, but I kept the paper as a memory. 15…

My neighbor was a single mom with a little boy. She hardly made ends meet. I used to babysit him and feed him. Then one day, they vanished without a word. 20 years passed. I’m now a secretary at a law firm, and I saw her son’s name scheduled for a visit. Later that day,…

My math teacher enjoyed making me feel small, and I never got why. One day, I was looking through my school’s 1989 yearbook and I spotted her at 16, in a class photo. Something caught my eye. I looked closer and felt a sudden chill: she had the same jacket that my mom had—a unique…

At 20, I was a struggling single mom, abandoned by my family and working at a nail salon. One day, a client left behind a Chanel bag. After two weeks, my boss offered it to me. Inside, I found $700 hidden in a pocket, along with a note that read, “For you.” A year later,…

A little backstory: I’m 58, retired, and living what I thought was a peaceful life. My daughter, let’s call her Sarah, is my pride and joy. I raised her as a single mom, working long hours and sacrificing a lot to give her the life she deserved. It paid off. She’s now a highly successful…

My 60-year-old mother just announced she’s going to her first “adult” party, and she wasn’t sure what to bring. After asking her some questions about it, I suddenly realized that she was actually headed to a Gender Reveal Party…

I had my baby at 16. I was a child and didn’t take care of him, so my stepmom quit her job to be a ‘temporary mom. Now, at 20, I’m ready to take my kid and go. My stepmom refuses because ‘she got too attached’ and said, ‘You’re still immature and not worthy of…