Letters to My Future Self: What I Hope I’ll Never Forget

There’s something hauntingly beautiful about writing to the version of yourself you’ve not yet met. A tender reminder that the person you are today won’t last forever—and that’s both tragic and hopeful. In the quiet corners of my heart, I often write silent letters to my future self, not out of fear of forgetting, but out of love for remembering.

If I could seal these lessons inside you, future me, like tattoos on your soul, these are the truths I hope you'll carry with you wherever you go.

1. Please, Don’t Lose That Childlike Wonder

You know the way your eyes light up at the smell of rain on dry pavement? Or how you still feel giddy at the first snowfall, even though you complain about winter every year? Hold onto that. Life will try to make you cynical. It will hand you gray skies and expect you to forget that you once painted with colors only your heart could see. Don’t forget the magic. Don’t stop believing that wonder still exists in the small moments.

2. Your Worth Has Never Been Measured by Productivity

I know you’ll forget this sometimes. You’ll confuse your value with your output, your calendar, your accomplishments. But hear this loud and clear: you are enough on your slow days. On the days when you get nothing done but survive. You were never meant to earn your place on this earth.

3. Keep Choosing Love, Even When It's the Harder Option

Love isn’t always soft or easy. Sometimes, it’s setting boundaries. Sometimes, it’s staying silent when your pride wants to scream. Sometimes, it’s leaving. But love is always worth it. Choose it, in all its messy forms. Choose it again and again, especially when bitterness would be easier.

4. Your Body Is Not an Apology

This one’s tough. I know there were years when mirrors were cruel, when scales determined your mood, and when comparison stole your joy. I hope that, wherever you are now, you’ve made peace with the skin you’re in. I hope you dance more, rest more, and criticize yourself less. Your body is your home—not a battlefield.

5. Keep Crying When You Need To

You used to apologize for your tears, remember? As if emotion was something to be ashamed of. But your softness is not a flaw—it’s a strength. Cry when you're moved. Cry when you break. Let it cleanse you. Never let the world harden you so much that you forget how to feel.

6. Forgive, Not Because They Deserve It, But Because You Do

You’ve carried anger before. Heavy, hot, and exhausting. But forgiveness—true forgiveness—is a gift you give yourself. It doesn’t mean forgetting. It doesn’t mean pretending you weren’t hurt. It means choosing peace over poison. I hope you never let resentment steal your joy.

7. Slow Down—Nothing Beautiful Grows Overnight

The world will tell you to hustle. To chase. To speed. But life’s most meaningful chapters unfold slowly. Friendships that deepen over years. Dreams that evolve. Healing that takes time. Don't rush the magic. You’re not late. You’re right on time.

8. You’re Allowed to Change Your Mind

What you want today might not be what you want in five years—and that’s okay. Changing your mind isn’t weak, it’s growth. Let yourself evolve. Let yourself pivot. Life isn’t a straight line, and you were never meant to walk just one path.

9. Say "I Love You" More Often Than You Think You Should

To your parents. Your friends. Yourself. Say it in texts, in hugs, in little gestures. Life is unpredictable. You don’t want to regret the words you never said. Love is never wasted.

10. Don’t Ever Forget Where You Started

The younger version of you—wide-eyed, brave, scared, stubborn—she mattered. She still does. She fought for the life you have now. Honor her. Thank her. Carry her with you, especially when you feel lost. She’s your compass.

I don’t know what your hair will look like. I don’t know if you’ll live in a big city, a quiet town, or somewhere in between. I don’t know if you’ll be married, a mother, a business owner, or something I haven’t yet dreamed of.

But I do know this: I hope you’re still soft. I hope you still smile at strangers. I hope you still love sunrises and write poetry in the margins of your journals. I hope your heart is full and your regrets are few. And I hope, most of all, that you never forget the girl who wrote you this letter.

Because she believed in you long before you became her.