10 People Whose Life Suddenly Made a U-Turn

Life can shift dramatically in an instant, and these 10 stories illustrate that perfectly. Through unexpected events or sudden chances, these people show us how a single moment can change everything.

• My dad thought lilies were my mother’s favorite flower because she chose them for their wedding. She revealed to me that she preferred morning glories, but my grandmother said those weren’t “classy enough” for a wedding. When I told my dad about it, he said, “I know that morning glories were her favorite. They just don’t sell bouquets of those, so I get her the next best thing.” Apparently, she always said lilies were her favorite, but she talked about positive memories around morning glories so much that he put two and two together. © yeweebeasties / Reddit

• I am a teacher, and I am off for the summer. I get to spend all that time with my son, who is not quite one yet. My wife and I have a friendly competition going to try to get him to say “dada” or “mama” first. My wife works full time. What she doesn’t know is that while she is at work, I spend the day talking about her and saying the word “mama” a lot. The other day, she got home after a long day, and he looked at her and said “Mama”. She was so happy and rubbed it in my face (playfully). She even did a little happy dance. I’ll never tell her. © AUSpartan37 / Reddit

• I accidentally accepted a friend request from (my now-husband) thinking it was another guy I knew with a similar name. I was ignoring the request before. And the rest is history. Married 12 years now with two kids. © Unknown Author / Reddit

• Grandpa and I shared a special bond. In his will, he left my siblings and me a choice: $10k or a photo album. My siblings took the cash. I chose the album as it felt like a piece of him. Turning the pages, each photo reignited a flood of joyful memories. Then, I was utterly shocked to see, hidden behind a photo of the 2 of us, a carefully concealed letter that read:
  
  “My Dearest Claire, If you are reading this, it means you chose the photo album, just as I knew you would. This album contains the memories of our cherished time together, moments that were more valuable to me than anything else in the world. You have always been the light in my life. I wanted to give you something that would remind you of the bond we shared. Enclosed with this letter is a check for $100,000. This is my final gift to you, to help you continue your journey and pursue your dreams. Use it wisely, and remember that I will always be with you in spirit, guiding you and cheering you on. Thank you for understanding the true value of our memories and for choosing love over material wealth. You are, and always will be, my precious granddaughter.”
  
  Tears of gratitude streamed down my face as I realized the depth of Grandpa’s love and the wisdom in his final gift.

• I was at my lowest point last year around March. I had just been cheated on by my girlfriend who I had been dating for 4 years. I was depressed. This one night, I was depressed and was on Instagram just scrolling randomly when this book review came up, it was of ‘To Paradise’ by Hanya Yanagihara. I loved how accurately that review described the book itself, and I texted the person who’d posted it that it was a great review. Then we got to talking. Now, I’m in a different city, with a job at Google, and she’s sleeping next to me. There’s an engagement ring in my locker for the coming future. © djh2f / Reddit
  

• I went to work on my day off thinking I had a shift that day. They were short-staffed for the lunch rush, so I stayed for a few hours. Suddenly, I ran into my childhood friend who moved away 15 years ago... We are now married with kids. @ bree-marie92 / Reddit

• Back in 2013 I was bored in grad school and scrolling Imgur. They had just started their “sort by new” feature where you could refresh every second and never catch up to where you were. So I’m scrolling, it’s the beginning of December and I see a selfie of a guy still showing off his beard post-no-shave-November and I’m smitten. He’s the one. I message him, we talk back and forth, and in 2 months, we’ll celebrate 10 years together. The sheer timing and happenstance of me finding his pic in all of those images is wild. © ilikerocks19 / Reddit

• I made a left turn instead of a right turn when I noticed the restaurant I liked had closed. I reopened it and 35 years later we are still going strong. It changed my life, as well as my wife, my kids, and 28 employees’ lives. © bbqtom1400 / Reddit

• The water main leading into the house burst, requiring the contractors to lay a new pipe from the street into the first floor. I had to clear everything out, and then go get jugged water to last a week for a family of 4.
  I asked to take the afternoon off work so I could take care of this, and they said it would be a write-up for an unexcused absence. This pissed me off. Not intending to quit, I rage applied to jobs just to blow off steam. I unexpectedly landed a new job with a $30,000 pay boost and complete schedule flexibility. © pinelands1901 / Reddit
  

• I went for a coffee with a friend before he went out to pitch a TV show in LA. He asked what I was up to and I mentioned the comic book I was planning to write. His pitch went well and the studio asked if he had any sci-fi ideas. He pitched my idea and a month later, I was in LA with a bunch of agents and managers wanting to sign me. © MikeSizemore / Reddit

People’s lives can be transformed overnight by surprising discoveries. Our next article delves into how 10 people unearthed startling truths about their family histories. These stories might even inspire you to look into your own family’s hidden past.