On Your Birthday, Write to Next Year's You
Past a certain age, birthdays get quiet. The cake shrinks, the wishes get practical, and even "happy birthday to me" starts to feel like a formality. But your birthday is still the best day of the year for a conversation with yourself — it's the one milestone that belongs to you alone. More and more people mark it the same way: write a letter to next year's you. What did this year of your life add up to? What did you pull off, what did you fumble, what are you wishing for? Seal it, schedule it for your next birthday, and every year you'll receive a letter from the person you were — a relay race run one year at a time, each age handing off to the next. Keep it up and the letters become a private chronicle only you can fully read; one writer went from twenty to thirty, and those ten letters side by side are more honest than any photo album. Below are birthday letters people chose to share. This year, after the candles, do one more thing: leave a few lines for the you of next year.
Ideas to get you started
- Take stock of the year: one thing you're proud of, one regret, one person you're most grateful for. Those three lines are a snapshot of who you are at this age.
- Make three wishes in writing — one for work, one for the people you love, one just for you. Score yourself when you open it next year.
- Record your current baseline: where you live, who you see most, what's worrying you lately. The changes will surprise you in twelve months.
- Schedule delivery for your next birthday and make it an annual ritual. Delivery within a year is free.
Real letters from the vault
636 public letters赵晓玉收
Dear xiaoyu，hi 一年后的赵晓玉~生日快乐!!有没有收到成人礼 有没有考上国美?大学时光感觉如何 有没有谈恋爱啊 还有什么梦想 有没有学吉他 qq连续登陆多少天了 最后该忘记的你有没有忘记… yours xiaoyu.
我是超亻
Dec 11, 2015 · Traveled 1 year
Photo letter
一封来自2015年十二月十六日的信
这是一封来自从前的信哦~滕月，今天是你的阳历生日
虔陈罔事
Dec 16, 2015 · Traveled 1 year
Photo letter
给滕月的一份信。来自陈登宏
滕月，我是陈登宏，这是一封来自七年前的信。先祝你生日快乐。这时候你已经快奔三啦！一朵花！这时候的我应该三十岁了。现在的我才22岁。我正在模仿30岁的我说话呢。22岁的我，你总是嫌我太幼稚，太傻逼。不知道30岁的我是不是变得成熟了呢。先答应我件事，无论如何，都要把一封信发给30岁的我看。我也想回忆一下
虔陈罔事
Dec 16, 2015 · Traveled 7 years
Dear
happy birthday to you 2015. .
n1253
Dec 17, 2015 · Traveled 1 year 9 months
Photo letter
生日快乐
今天是生日哦，首先祝福某人生日快乐。还是要好好努力的，一阶段哦，加油，你一定行！自强不息，天道酬勤！为了你爱的人请好好加油！应该找到另一半了吧，祝自己永远幸福，爱你永远支持你。
时光下的脚步
Dec 18, 2015 · Traveled 2 months 19 days
晚安
你在南方的艳阳里大雪纷飞我在北方的寒夜里四季如春那天说起以前的事 说起你带着火箭队logo的白短袖 你说了句 小时候是挺喜欢那件衣服我想 怎么就小时候了呢 还历历在目呢恍然惊觉真的过了很久了 子在川上曰 逝者如斯夫 不舍昼夜那好像是 五年级的事 现在 高三了好像是过了八年之久 老朋友年轻时你歌尽桃花
绿子
Dec 22, 2015 · Traveled 5 days
给未来的自己
致亲爱的自己： 亲爱的，今天是你的生日，首先祝你生日快乐！当你打开这封信的时候，已经是26岁了吧，也许刚刚结婚。也许，我会轻轻地打招呼：“Hi，好久不见，我是过去的你！现在的你好吗？”记得过去的你，一直期待自己可以成熟而世俗，你的愿望实现了吗？你身边是否有深爱的人，是否在做自己喜欢的事情。你说，你要
回忆微凉陌上花开
Dec 26, 2015 · Traveled 4 years 9 months
Photo letter
生日快乐阿大傻逼
时间就是这么不等人呢，一下子都成年了。还没有感觉到青春的气息呢哈哈哈，谈恋爱什么的…成绩还好吗？学习应该很忙吧，毕竟要高考了啊。都要变成大学生了呢（笑不要忘记目标哟温医大！一定要考上啊还有…不要因为功课忽视友谊啦，可能以后再也不会有这么多好朋友有这么纯洁的友谊啦要好好用功哟？毕业旅行什么的真是太吸引
n1273
Dec 27, 2015 · Traveled 1 year
嘿，收信啦，五年前的younger王国瑜来的信
亲爱的王国瑜：你还好吗？明天就是你30岁的生日了，这是一封来自五年前的信，写信的是五年前的你自己。五年前的你在中国人民大学的图书馆三层，你常坐的263号位置上写下了这样的一封信。这是北京的冬天，窗外很寒冷，可室内却温暖舒适，阳光直直的照在了桌上，晒在了你正在看的《合同法学的新发展》那本书上，这个时候
瑜flyingfish
Jan 11, 2016 · Traveled 6 years
写给2020的银晨曦
你过得怎么样啊？有没有我想象得好啊，有没有当上律师，有没有争气，今天是你的生日，生日快乐
n1302
Jan 11, 2016 · Traveled 4 years 10 months
嗷嗷嗷纸豪欧尼酱
哈哈哈哈哈纸豪兄这时候我还在学校，定时发给你的，远在很远的地方还能记着你生日不要太感谢我╭(￣▽￣)╮蒽初中其实你能感觉我喜欢你吧，现在许久不见也倒可以轻松说出口，总之生日快乐啦，也不知道祝福什么就祝你高中即使谈恋爱也不会影响学习吧╮(╯▽╰)╭哒哒哒看我多好~生日哈皮！！！哈哈哈哈哈猜猜我是谁
以巳皿杉爷
Feb 15, 2016 · Traveled 21 days
三十歲的劉中雄
今天是你的三十歲生日，5年前的自己 寫信給5年後的自己 不知道這5年世界會變成怎麼樣，但我希望自己看到此信時 已經成家立室 能夠闖一番事業 照顧好我的母親 做一個有用的人，希望你能夠做到，不要讓自己和所有人都失望了。
n853
Feb 23, 2016 · Traveled 5 years 5 months
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to write it on the birthday itself?
No — a few days before or after is fine. What matters is the delivery date: set it to next year's birthday, and the arrival becomes the ritual.
Is this only for writing to myself?
Not at all. Plenty of people write to a friend or partner ahead of time, scheduled to land on that person's birthday — a gift that was prepared with a whole year to spare.
What if I forget to write the next one?
The best moment to write next year's letter is right after opening this year's — the feelings are still warm. That's exactly how long-time users keep the chain going.
On Your Birthday, Write to Next Year's You
Write yours