My Mom Kept A Giant Secret From Me For Most Of My Life. Then, I Discovered It.

“She continued to deny the truth, and I realized she’d told so many untrue stories to me — and herself — for so long that she’d never confess.”

The author playing violin on Fifth Avenue in New York City (1983).

The author (left) and her mother at a picnic in Ohio celebrating the author’s grandfather’s 94th birthday (1999).

The author (right) with her mom at her mother’s home in Ohio (2022).

Heather Kristin has written for The Washington Post, Glamour, The Independent, Salon, Slate, and has been interviewed on Latino NPR and by Oprah. She’s worked many jobs, including Park Avenue nanny, extra on films, subway busker, cocktail waitress, but she’s most proud of being a Girls Write Now mentor, mommy, and violinist. She’s currently writing a memoir, “The Stand-In.”

This article originally appeared on HuffPost in May 2026.