To the person who sent in that secret:

[hoodieprincess]

Dear You,

I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you to send your secret in to Post Secret. I hope that it was liberating really. My confession is that your secret is mine as well and I've never told anyone that side of things. People (and very select people that is) know the half-truth but none know that side. So, I read your secret today at work and had to excuse myself to find somewhere to go cry. I have known all along that I did the same thing and yet never had the stregnth to admit it like that. When I read your secret, it hit me like a ton of bricks and I couldn't help but to cry harder than I have cried in a long time. Somewhere, I think I hated myself for what I'd done all these years and didn't know if it was normal. And, while it still may not be "normal," I know that I am not alone. Thank you for sending it in. Thank you for sharing. It very well may be something that changes my life in the fact of knowing I am not by myself. I am not wrong or horrible. I still am ashamed of myself for the things I have done and all along have tried in some way to justify them to myself while not feeling it was rational to do so. But, knowing that I am not alone makes me feel better at least. I hope your stregnth can help me to find mine. Thank you.

~A

[Dave]

that's beautiful hoodie. me being nosey want to know which secret you are referring to. Dare share?

[RO]

A-

I was just going to say how courageous it is to even post a letter like this about that secret...

You and I have discussed that book at length in the past and how addicted we are to the website when the new secrets come out.

I, too, have mailed mine in...wondering when it would show up...waiting to see it.

I, too, have reacted strongly to someone else's secret...thinking wow, there is someone that is like me out there in the world.

That is the beauty of the book and of how many people that it has helped. I went to the University's discussion of the book and where they had a huge display of all these secrets...our library did it for a short time...allowed people to post random messages on a board anonymously...it is amazing how words...can touch someone else.

You are not alone. I know you know that...but sometimes...in the darkest of times or when we are alone with our thoughts for far too long...you feel alone. At times like these...try to remember how you felt when you read that secret and that you are not alone.

You are a beauty in this ugly world. Take care.

~J