What is the best thing that has ever happened to you - up until this point?

Earning my PhD after battling serious depression for most of my life.

Full ride scholarship to my dream Ivy school.

Getting sober 17 years ago and going vegan on the same day. Those two things saved my life and enabled me to meet and be available for my now husband. We met ten years ago and he is indisputably the sweetest part of my world.

Surviving cancer.

Finding an onion ring in my box of Burger King fries. 🍟

I finally decided to kick the pageant circuit.

It's a tie between paying off my student loan (I kept that confirmation email for about 3 years!) and being handed the keys to the condo I own. It was my first big purchase and I'm still here!

Meeting my husband.

This thread. Yeah, it’s a low bar.

Fun thread OP, thanks. Sorry there's always outsider wanna-bes wanting to fuck things up. Every grade school always has somebody on the back row eating paste. Some get a grip, Hi Dr.Bernie, some end up like Cher's son.

I would say my parents adopting me- the best and the worst. But because of that I met my husband as a youth, and now I am married to him. And our daughters have changed my life from good to great.

Another cancer cured.....8 years now......

When I was in college, I was a fine arts major. I really enjoyed acting, however, I wanted to become a lawyer. My boyfriend told me that I was a great actress,, but that I did not have what it took to become a lawyer. I graduated college and later took a business law class at the University of Minnesota. The class was taught by the Dean. The Dean went to Mardi Gras that year after he had given us the midterm exam. When he got back, he said that he had a medal for the person who scored the highest on the midterm. This was an auditorium class of about 1000 people. Prior to this time he had often used me in hypotheticals as “the dumb blonde“ who got herself into a little escapades. There was a group of jocks sitting in the front who would always guffaw at the escapades that the dumb blonde got herself into. he announced to everyone that I had won the midterm award, and the jocks were dumbfounded. My professor turned to me and said that I should go to law school. I did and I graduated at the top of my class. The best part of all was the feeling that that asshole didn’t know what the fuck he was talking about! Ha ha. But the next best thing is that after graduating from law school I went to work for a big law firm. My ex came and visited me in my office because my firm represented the company that employed him. And he was appropriately humbled. BURRRRN!

R13 That's great! But perhaps you would have been an even better actress? You might have racked up a few nominations by this point! haha

Did you know Jasmine Crockett started as an actress before acing law school?

I started getting significant shares in family oil wealth after they started fracking the ground under both my grandparents farms in North Dakota in my late 40s. I had been living a at a VERY low level of existence for a couple of decades, and was able to take all that money and finally go to therapy, where I discovered that I had cPTSD from narcissistic abuse (my dad has NPD) and trauma related attachment issues, and that these things were the reasons that I had been stuck for most of my life, for all the depressions, the self isolation, and so on. I also took my newfound wealth and got several surgeries I'd needed for years but couldn't afford, fixed some dental issues, and then proceeded to throw myself into every form of trauma treatment I could find that might be helpful. That was 7 years ago, and I'm now at the other end of the tunnel. Without that money I never could have done any of it.

R4 and R12, me too! I am so glad we are still here!

Saying yes when the man who would become my husband asked me out for the first time.

music

Having paid off our house.

Going on my first date with my now-husband almost thirty years ago. He is in mid-stage Alzheimer’s ( was diagnosed with MCI in 2022) and I am still grateful for every day I have with him.

Being able to finally stop gambling due to Covid closing the casinos. It allowed me to dig myself out of my financial hole I’d created. I literally could not stop.

Moving away from my hometown and to California when I was 25. It probably saved me from becoming a slovenly MAGAt.

All that sex, and no AIDS

R22 Welcome! The best thing that ever happened to me was being born in California!

Meeting my partner/husband 28 years ago. I lucked out. My life would have been so different without him. He's not rich or a sex god, but he's the sweetest, kindest person I know, and he puts up with me. He's given me decades of happiness and hopefully a couple more at least.

Side note: OP asked about things "that happened to you" and most people are posting accomplishments. Not splitting hairs or anything, but y'all should be proud of those things as [italic]accomplishments. [/italic]That didn't "happen to you," you made that happen!

But I'm not throwing shade. Some great posts here already. But my proudest accomplishment would be a different answer. Anyway, carry on.

Doing a handful of Sean Cody scenes when the site was at its peak, making really good money, and using it to put me through college.

I don’t understand the question, and I refuse to answer it.

I know this was supposed to be a positive thread, but now I'm depressed that I can't think of a single thing.

It sounds corny and frau-y, but my two kids. They both turned out well and we have a good relationship. If I make it to old age, hopefully they will be there with me (I mean if they don’t die first.)

Well then what happens to a person is pure luck. Like getting a lot of money and not getting aids after all that sex from above. That one guy could have lived the rest of his life in poverty and depression. The other could have died a long time ago. But to be honest what you make happen also requires a huge amount of luck. As Shakespeare said 'Lord how we lose our pains.'

I guess the luckiest thing that happened to me out of nowhere was getting on an empty subway car and was going to sit at the end but changed my mind and sat in the middle. Pulled out Panorama an italian magazine and started reading. I was learning Italian at the time. Suddenly this guy I hadn't noticed started talking to me in Italian. This guy was studying english in NY. We exchanged numbers to tutor each other. We became friendly studying together and I even drove him to Kennedy when he returned home. My first trip to Italy and I went Florence first and then to Venice and it was a nightmare. Totally gray heavy rain, the whole city was flooded and you had to walk on scaffolding. I called this guy who lived in south Italy and he said take the train and come down here and stay with my family and me. I left them after a few days and went to Rome where he joined me until I returned to the states after a few days. This was pre 9/11 and you could walk into everything with no lines. We remained friends, I went to his wedding, and he is coming to NY this summer and I'll get to see him and his wife again after many years and finally meet his sons who are now just finishing university. A friendship of many decades.

Moving away from my hometown in Texas, going to college, getting away from all the hateful people I grew up with and living in a beautiful apartment all on my own. Now I’m getting my master’s degree and dating a wonderful man.

Leaving for college. My home life was terrible. Getting to college put me in contact with crazy, funny and creative people. It was like stepping into Oz. Everything went from black and white to Technicolor.

R30 get a blog

However it sounds, having three distinct experiences of "haunting" activity in business stays at Hotel Bothwell in Sedalia, Missouri. I'm a research scientist and unexpectedly being treated to a hatman/shadowman apparition the first time without knowing the place had a reputation for being haunted. I asked at the desk if anyone had ever reported - and before I could finish she said, "about the ghosts?" and pulled out a fat binder of reports the staff kept despite the Mormon owner forbidding the subject to be raised.

For me, a reliable professional observer, having personal exposure to the weird still jangles my chimes at times.

That and perfect times with the best of companions.

My family was POOR. We went to the state fair and were able to ride one ride and we shared (collectively, the 6 of us) an elephant ear and vinegar fries. I thought it was fun though - walking around and seeing free shows.

As we were leaving, I saw something on the ground - a $20 bill. I picked it up and yelled out “does this belong to anyone?” No one claimed it, and I gave it to my Dad who used it to buy ride tickets and JUNK food for us all. It was probably the most exciting thing that ever happened. A fun, fun night with my family.

Is that you, Avery?

Oh shit, I fat-fingered my like into a ff. Oops Anyway, I loved your story r35

Prior to the past year I probably would have had some tear jerking, heart warming story. Honestly this year my answer is living long enough to have the dog I currently have. I feel like I have waited my whole life for her.

Adopting my first dog as an adult in 2006. He was a rescue from an older lady who passed and was 6 when I found him, and lived to be 12 and a half. He got me through some awful years and saved my life. I still miss him.

I landed an incredible job I was on paper wildly unqualified for. Everyone I knew told me I wouldn't get it, but my dad always told me to dream big so I started the application process just to show them all. I got through round after round with my street smarts telling them about all my transferable skills. The other lead candidate turned out to be a very unlikeable person, I heard she didn't do so well in the interviews and something was up with her background check. I still remember the phone call telling me I got it! Now almost a decade later, I love doing what I do, every day brings a new challenge and believe me, the perks are just amazing :)

Moving out of my parents' house and living on my own at age 22. I only had $1,000 in the bank at the time. It taught me how to be financially responsible and independent.

I have loved and been loved.

did you mean "years" or "rears"?

I have just the one, dear.

R26 Uh...

Are we really NOT addressing this?

Overcoming a toxic childhood, complete with sociopathic siblings and a narcissistic monster of a mother, and establishing a relatively stable life. Sounds like no big deal, I know, but for me its fucking huge.

I got my FIRST WW ON DL🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗

That is something to be proud of R46. Most people repeat the mistakes of their families and never get away.

My decision to retire has been a rousing success.

Getting into a good law school; passing two states’ bar exams on the first try. One was California, back when it was still a three-day exam!

My first business trip to London flying in business class taking off from JFK looking at the schoolyard I used to look up at planes taking off dreaming of other lands and the house I grew up in knowing my father was sitting in front of the TV getting drunk and remembering how he called me crazy when I begged him to go look at the new 747s at JFK, one of which I had been mesmerized by hanging over our neighborhood for the first time the day before.

It's like a movie, R51!

I've made a lot of good life decisions - I don't think any one thing 'has happened' to me that I didn't put myself in a position for the opportunity to happen.

But one of the best decisions I made was to quit my job (without another one lined up) and move cross country to SoCal (not Los Angeles). Everything fell into place -including a great relationship that lasted 7 years.

Weather, environment and local attitudes really do impact your life more than you realize. It's hard to be too down when the doors are open, ocean breezes are coming in, and the sun is shining.

I wished I hadn't waited so long. I was 'stuck' for about 10 years of feeling the need to move on - but how? Where? Sometimes you just have to pull the trigger and do it - no matter what age. Usually you'll land on your feet.

I have zero regrets. I miss nothing about my former life in a metro of 10 million - I have everything I need here just on a little smaller scale and still have quick access to LA for anything else.

A nurse manager hiring me when I didn't have her usual qualifications. It has been a hugely rewarding career and made me wealthier than I ever imagined. She still stops by, long retired, and always say, "I'm glad you're here."

I forgot to mention, I was in a BA 747.

R51

Thank you, R52.

Moved to NYC as a teenager in 1981 and I didn't seroconvert/die of AIDS.

Halleluja!

Went to a coming out group in 1990. Completely changed my life. Met 4 of my best friends in it…and my spouse. And introduced me to my new world. Best thing ever.

Must have been a community college extension in a strip mall if a couple of Sean Cody scenes paid the way.