What is the single most heartbreaking and tragic moment of your life?

[Gereorth666]

I've had the best day and worst day of my life at the same moment. It was the day I was phoned about my school-exam. If I failed or passed. So.. I've been waiting the entire day for that special Phone call.. There it went.. The phone rang.. And yes! I got told I passed my exam! I've litterly cried out of happiness. I've spent so much time into studying, every year.
So that same night I went out with a few friends to celebrate. And as I was on my way, my mom called me. "I.. I don't know how to tell you this.. But.. You've failed your exam. It seems they made a mistake. They made a wrong calculation." It realy felt like my world shattered. I know, it's not that awful, failing your exam.. But the fact they first told me I passed just to tell me later they made a mistake. "To give someone a lovely thing, and to just rip it out of their hands"

[Peso]

Dog dying was probably the toughest thing so far in life. It was the only year I decided to get a summer job around the university town that I was living in than going home for work.

He ended up having something wrong with his brain which was the cause for his sudden behavioral change. This caused him to bite a young boy. I remember getting a call from my sister when it happened and how devastating it was hearing that we might have to put him down. My parents wrestled with the idea for a couple days and ultimately decided not to, which made me really happy. I only had a couple weeks left and hopefully I thought that seeing him again might change his mood. Then he bit father on the face a couple weeks later.

The worst part was this all happened while I was away and couldn't get home. The day I came home happened to be the day they had to put him down and I only got to spend a couple of minutes with him. My parents ended up taking him to the vet to put him down and the next time I saw him he was in a blanket being carried by my cousin to the back yard to be buried.

It was the most awful thing I've experienced in my entire life. I raised him when he was a puppy, took him swimming constantly (he was a golden lab, and he loved the water) and he always slept on the foot of my bed. As he got older he had difficulty getting up so I always had to help him get up.

Losing a pet is never easy. My cat died from a liver disease and had to be put down while I was in a different country. He was puking and not eating the weeks following my departure. I never could say goodbye. The world is so cruel.

[Doffer]

I don't think I can choose one moment. Since I was 9 and up its been a plethora of moments.

My Grandmothers death when I was 9, my years of solitude with no friends, being shot down by women I've loved every time, dark moments with hurtful thoughts, every time I fail at trying to get my life to a better place. Can't go into more details than that I think without giving too much of myself.

[Noomz]

I've been trying to, in my spare time, see if there are indeed people who share the pain of not having the perfect life that children envision. There are moments we have where you believe life is simply not fair or meant to be, and have considered surrendering. What point in your life truly strengthened that belief, and was so painful that it truly felt as if you were dead on the inside, but your body is still alive?

I've been through cancer. But that's not the worst I've been through. The worst I've ever felt was during an extreme anxiety attack. I was convinced I was about to die. I hyperventilated and cried for my life, I lost all sensation and control of my hands and arms.
I wish I never have to go through that again. And I do not wish it upon anyone to have to go through something like that.

- - - Updated - - -

Most heartbreaking though? When one of our cats was kinda ill and not recovering properly. I was at my parents place (I live in my own apartment) and he came up into my lap to cuddle with me and sleep in my lap. When I got home to my apartment I broke down in tears, because I knew that that was the last time I'd ever get to hold him.
Still makes my eyes water just talking about it.

[yetgdhfgh]

It has to be when my stepsister passed away

She was only 24 and had so much to live for

Still breaks my heart thinking about it

[Issalice]

When I was told my mum was being put into hospice. She had been ill for two years, diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 17. It had spread throughout her body, her bones, her brain, and most of her organs. I didn't know at the time, she kept it from both myself and my younger brother. But when my grandmother told me she was going into hospice I knew she was going to die and I could do absolutely nothing about it. Visiting her was gut wrenching, she was incoherent from the pain meds. And when she did pass I was too much of a chicken shit to sit with her, I was in hysterics and inconsolable. I had to leave the room. Thankfully my little brother was able to be with her when she passed. I will never forgive myself for not being able to be there for her at the end.

- - - Updated - - -

i found out that i had a sister and that my father wasn't my biological father when i was 20. i found out that my brother was only my half brother and a bunch of other things all at once. its been 3 years and still feels kind of like unreal, like i dreamt it all. i really wish it wasn't true.

I know how you feel, found out the exact same news at 13. Even though my brother is only technically my half brother, it makes no difference to me. He is my world and I love him just the same. I hope that you can come to terms with it and feel more comfortable eventually.

[DockyWocky]

Could be one of several things I suppose.

When I was 9, about a week before my birthday, my mother died after a long battle with cancer. I had just been visiting her a few minutes before, and my dad and I had gone on a walk. On the way back up in the elevator, we heard the doctor's talking about a patient in a coma who had just passed, and when we made it to my mom's room, it turned out to be her. That was pretty heartbreaking.

When I was overseas, my team was out on a patrol, screening for a normal Army unit who was escorting a reporter through Ramadi. A truck with 3 of my close friends in it was hit by an explosive devise. They all died shortly after the explosion, and I was basically helpless to do anything about it. That was pretty awful.

[Yakshamash]

1st minute with friend you didn't see him in 10+ years and his last minutes in your arms. But, that's one single moment in the oceans of many. Wars, blood, deaths, devastations... I still don't know how I'm still normal. Maybe I'm not. Also, death of my brother (from human mistake and missleading diagnosis) and dog old 10 years, which I got as puppy from him. Dog was killed (hanged) by someone from my neighbourhood and I still don't know who was that idiot (maybe it's better I don't know).

[schwarzkopf]

When my wife left me... pretty much destroyed me.

[johnkimble16]

When my dad died. It was a day I will never forget.

Everything started out normal. One of my brothers and I were playing video games in the basement as part of our typical weekend routine. My dad had left earlier that morning to take a drive somewhere. It wasn't strange for my dad to do this as he really enjoy driving. At around 3PM my brother and I heard two cars pull into our driveway. One of them was a police cruiser. At first I was convinced one of my older brothers had gotten into some kind of trouble. What happened next haunts my memories to this day. I heard my mom in the most shrill and agonizing voice I had ever heard cry out "No!" and then said my father's name. The officer had told my mom that my dad had been in an automobile accident.

My brother and I immediately went upstairs. Sitting in our living room were a police officer and two social workers. At that moment my mind was completely blank. I just looked at my mom and my little sister as they both cried and held each other. Across from me was my brother who just sat silently. I was 17 when my dad passed away.

My dad did everything for me, my mom, and my siblings. There had been deaths in the family before but nothing of this magnitude. My dad was basically the glue that held my entire family together. Shortly after his death I lost contact with my aunt and my cousins.

I still have dreams of my dad being alive. My memories of him will likely never escape my mind. It is my belief that when it is time to meet our maker, we are reunited with our loved ones. When it is my time to leave this world I am sure I'll see him again.

[Deleted]

I'm not sure you could call it heartbreaking, but it was tragic - My brother being 10 or 11 at the time, took my pet hamster and put it in the microwave.

He didn't understand why it didn't live and wasn't having the time of it's life running around a microwave, thinking back to it - it makes me cringe heavily...

(Inb4 why didn't you stop him, iirc i wasn't in the house)

[Radio]

- we had our dog escape the front yard one day and she was hit'n'run when I was about 8 or 9, saw her body in a box too, she was a lovely dog with an amazing temperament and love for her family too
- watching my mum's 2nd husbands father in the various retirement homes/hospitals, he had hardcore alzheimers and even as a kid it just felt depressing to see
- when my families current dog had a health scare last year (she's 13 years old), she was struggling to move and not eating her food for about a week, she's perfectly fine now though, and cheeky as ever thankfully


EDIT: Removed everything in there related to my family, I decided that I shouldn't really share that kind of stuff with the internet.

[Rooflesstoofless]

Having to be both father and mother to both of my daughters.

[Psynyx]

Being adopted by a pedophile at age 10 and then for 7 years being subjected to physical, mental and sexual torture. 12 broken bones, 2 skull fractures, 1 near fatal stabbing, starvation for weeks at a time, being chained to a tree and fed like an animal out of a bowl, hundreds of stitches and the list goes on, not to mention the several hundred rappings by him.

When I finally did go to the police and report him he was charged with more than 350 felonies and the other 9 boys he adopted and sexually abused were taken from him. But because money can buy your way out of jail he only did 10 years.

The story originated out of Palm Beach, Florida you can easily google it.

[Minaah]

Having one of my cousin's pass away at 9yrs old due to an undiagnosed heart condition. She passed in her sleep apparently one night, and when my uncle went in to wake her up for school....she was just... gone. So tragic to go to a funeral for someone so young. It really made me feel empty inside for quite a while.

[Grummgug]

Young love....

I was 14. Freshman year high school. This blonde girl was in my first period class that I had a crush on. I was super hot back then. She was seated one seat in front and to my left. She saw me and went all boy crazy on me. During first period. It was weird and upsetting and ultimately heartbreaking.

A typical day was her sitting there in first period, just turned right around staring at me for 40 minutes. Then we would go to second period. She sat directly to my left in second period. And she would completely ignore me and flirt with the guy behind her. This went on from day one of freshman year until the last day of freshman year.

At first I was confused. I was like "its almost like she likes me, but then she always ignores me second period." I had a crush on her but the idea of being at the bottom of a love triangle was repulsive. So I ignored her first period and stared at her second period. She ignored me. After this game went back and forth, I just gave up. I felt very heartbroken, I never felt a crush like that before. When your young and 14 its very powerful. I cried over it after freshman year was over, and then it was out of my system.

First day of sophomore year I saw her. She skipped up towards me all happy and smiling. I was disgusted. I didn't even acknowledge her and walked out of the room. She went off and cried horribly for probably an hour in the back of the room. I was so disgusted I didn't even care. I felt like she was still playing these stupid games. Like if I acknowledged her, she'd just up and ignore me again for another guy 5 minutes later. Why wouldn't I think that? That's what she always does.

I was devastated. But then I got through it and beyond it. Never said any of that to her. Never said a word to her at all. I went thru high school, graduated, moved on and never talked to her once. Just let her go. Goodbye!

[Speaknoevil]

I ate too much hummus one time before a romantic evening in.

Being effectively disowned by a lot of my family, and all of my childhood friends/community for the unspeakable combination of also liking other girls, and not being in any way mystical.(age 14)

[Adam Jensen]

Death of my grandmother.

With my grandfather, I was too young to really understand it.

[Skroe]

The day my father told me my great aunt who helped raise me had passed away two months prior.

[Zerrahki]

The day I lost my Grandmother is what sticks out the most to me. I was raised by her pretty much, even more so than my actual parents, since they were always and gone and never around. I spent the majority of my life with her, until I was 17, and she was definitely someone I looked forward to seeing every day when I woke up . About 4 years ago now, she lost a long battle with Cancer, and it's hard to even explain or describe how destroyed I felt that night as they wheeled her out on a stretcher.

Even to this day, I still get a bit teary eyed when the holidays roll around, considering her house was the 'go to' place for family gatherings.