What's The Wildest Bombshell Your Grandparent Dropped About Their Lives?
About two years before my grandma passed away, I was sitting with her in a theater at my cousin's film school showing for a film he made about my late grandfather (her husband of 60 years). She turned to me and said, "You know, I was engaged before I came over to America," and turned back.
This was the first I had ever heard this lore, and the first ANYONE in my family had ever heard it, too — her children included. She visited the US on a one-way ticket but, apparently, not knowing she'd stay there for the rest of her life, left behind a fiancé she likely never spoke to again.
I imagine she carried this secret her entire life, and for some reason, perhaps knowing she was at the end of her life, she felt it was time to let it out. When she passed two years later, we found a photo that we presumed to be of her and her fiancé. His name was on the back, in her shaky, arthritic handwriting, meaning it was probably written recently. She still remembered.
While this wasn't necessarily the wildest bomb grandma could've dropped, I was certainly shocked to hear a 65-year-old secret. I often hear that older people, or people at the end of their lives, tend to air out their unspoken history — bombshells, dirty laundry, and secrets included. So, I turn it back to you — has your grandparent or family member ever revealed a shocking bombshell about their life?
Maybe, on his deathbed, you found out that your grandpa had a whole secret family you never knew about. He'd always go on weekend "business trips," so it suddenly made sense what he was really doing. Your grandma knew but kept it a secret so as not to upset him or the family.
Perhaps your grandma revealed she had an affair with Elvis after meeting him on the set of his first film. Your grandma worked as a secretary in the film industry, which you knew, but you had no idea of the Elvis affair. You also learned that she actually was testing as an actress around the same time but quit her career after grandpa learned of the affair. You told grandma she dodged a bullet with Elvis, but you always wonder if she regretted giving up her acting career.
Maybe your grandma revealed to you that your aunt was actually your sister. Your mom, who passed away when you were young, unexpectedly got pregnant at 15. Because your family was super religious, she was sent to an unwed mother's home to keep it hush-hush and had the baby, your aunt. Instead of giving the baby up for adoption, your grandma raised her as her own while your mom completed school. Neither you nor your aunt knew until your grandma broke ties with the church and told you decades later.
So, if a grandparent randomly decided to share a shocking piece of lore with you one day, I want to hear about it. Let me know in the comments or by submitting this anonymous form. Your response could be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed Community post.
