Dear future me,

How are you, darling? It’s the year 2036. There are flying cars and robots that do everything for you. I’m just kidding. As excited as I am to see you’ve made it through your twenties and thirties, I hope you haven’t changed too much. You’re laughing to yourself now because you have no idea what you wrote in this letter, and you’ve been waiting 20 years to read it. I can’t believe you’re 45 years old—where did the time go?

I wrote you this letter not to scare you, not to make you feel like I put a time stamp on what you needed to accomplish the past 20 years, but to make sure you’re still happy, that you’re a better version of yourself, that you’re thankful for every moment you’ve had with your family.

Were you scared at all? I hope you know I have been there the entire time and I would never abandon you. We’ve been through so much together. You’ve made a lot more friends and lost a few on the way. I guess some people do change, but we wish them the best no matter what. I hope you have no resentment against those who have wronged you. I hope you thank them because they made you the strong woman you are today. They are to thank for the lessons you have learned over the past 20 years. Thank God there hasn’t been another break up though, having your 70-year-old mother coddle you isn’t a good look.

I hope you wake up every morning to the man of your dreams, the man who knew he couldn’t live life without you, the one who is your best friend. I hope you guys still laugh at all the stupid shit you used to, and still make time for a weekly date night. If you get too distracted along the away from all of life’s stress, please find your way back to me. All I’ve ever wanted from you was to be genuinely happy, and I know your anxiety sometimes controls that.

I hope you have children. I hope they are strong, confident people because you taught them never to give up. I hope they know that you are always there for them, that you guys aren’t so different; that when they think they cant carry on you can make them whole. They should be mid-teens right now and thank god they aren’t as bad as you were. Is it weird being a stay-at-home mom? I know that’s what you always wanted to be able to do, to take care of your family and provide for them just like mom did for you guys.

I hope you haven’t lost your sense of humor, and I hope you have found your confidence. All these years we’ve tried to love other people before we truly were able to love us. You are a beautiful person, inside and out. I hope you still people watch, that you never stop singing, that you still write every day about your future dreams. I hope you still read, that you still pretend to like scary movies, and that you finally wrote your book of poetry you’ve been talking about since college.

Please don’t lose that smile, even on the bad days I am always here for you. Never forget that.

Love,

Your 25-year-old self in 2016