Double Secret

This postcard was published on the PostSecret Website. A black and white image of a young girl looking off into the distance it saddens me at the first glance. Then to read the words, "My biggest secret isn't even my own. Maybe sending this post secret will release me. I've never told a soul your secret. I should have." Keeping a secret against all odds. What does hearing a secret do to the listener? Do they take on the burden and responsibility or the secret, tucking it away for later thoughts. Will this secret begin to eat at the listener the same way it did the confessor? How does the listener deal with the secrets they consume? Do they repent, or write, do they just wallow in sympathy for the confessor. They take on an emotional burden solely to relieve another person. Is confession selfish? Does the confessor ever think about what they are putting the listener through? We confess to relieve ourselves, to make ourselves feel better. What about the person we're confessing to?