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.
How to write this letter
- 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
632 public letters应该好久不见了，嘿，你好
首先祝你生日快乐，我可能无法像去年那样，没有了身份和理由陪你过生日，所以只能默默地祝你生日快乐，本来想说多点什么的，但是所有的话到了嘴边又不知从何说起了，哈哈，不知道你现在怎么样了呢，在干嘛呢，哎，不说什么了，祝你快乐，不止生日！
n6162
2020.12.03
生日快乐
一路走来，生命的记忆好似走马观花般，一幕幕的呈现于眼前，那枯萎的柔情包裹着尘缘的俗世，伴我流浪在孤城的天涯，再也寻不回最初的路。随着时间推移，心中不知多了几篇故事，仿佛本不多的心事，如今却溢满了心底，时而忆起，却又不知从何想起
n3284
2018.06.26
你好，2026年的依凡
可能都不记得这封信的存在了吧，今天是你的生日哦!祝你生日快乐。现在的你过得怎么样呢？是否如意?是否和自己所期待的生活一样呢？是否认识了许多人？是否实现了大大小小的愿望呢？是否拥有一台自己的单反相机
bluegirllikemilk
2021.02.16
祝我生日快乐
今天第一次收到了一年前写给自己的信 很温馨美好 希望把这种感觉延续下去 这次不用一年那么久 是写给三十的自己 半年后的你好吗 有没有为了未来又努力前进了一点点下个月去韩国了呢 明年还想去四川 北京 东南亚海滩 哈哈就酱紫吧
花开的声音
2014.12.18
给未来的猪头
生日快乐我的男孩！不知道今年你生日我有没有在你身边呀，你现在去踢球了，我刷抖音看见可以给未来写信，我就想着给你写一封信。如果顺利的话这个时候我应该已经在实习了，我想一直跟你在一起呀宝贝，想嫁给你，给你生两个小孩，我爱你。
孙馨
2020.11.28
晨桑生日快乐
记不记得今天是啥日子，你应该换手机了，备忘录没了吧，中考结束了，我相信你肯定进二中了，毕竟我对象是谁嘛bwb，咱俩不会还是就牵过手吧，咱俩可一定要进同一所大学，结个婚啥的，最后今天是你生日，生日快乐！希望我这时在你身边呢
n5379
2020.11.27
18岁的你
今天是2016年12月9日星期五，外面很冷，我躺在宿舍里玩着手机，当我在看到这封邮件的时候这天正好是我的生日，也是我18岁成年的开始，我不知道我一年里我都经历过了什么，可能我还是单身，或者我有了那个心爱的她，就这样吧。
爱你是我做过最好的事
2016.12.09
生日快乐🎂！
生日快乐🎂！哈哈不知道我们复合了没，但是还是祝你生日快乐，天天开心，也不知道长胖了没，长高了没，和别人相处的好吗？没错，又是我，可能你已经记不得了吧，可能会感觉恶心吧，emmm，但是还是要天天开心哦o(*≧▽≦)ツ。
n8561
2024.09.25
（无标题）
一些话，你还是等23号看看那封信吧，我实在是想不起来那天说的什么话了我祝商冰涵小朋友生日快乐！愿新的一年 所期皆所念 所念皆所愿 所愿皆所得.即使年年不见也要岁岁平安要比肩并立成为更好的大人！！！！！！！！！……嘻嘻
n6708
2021.02.17
来自2016年5月30日
我写了一封很长的信给你.在最后一步的时候按错了，没保存好，或许这就是猿粪吧。祝你生日快乐，怎么说，今天也是你的生日。不管我在哪里，你在我心里永远是最特别的一个，我会把你记在心里，把回忆留在心底。生日快乐，开心幸福。。
托尼哥
2016.05.30
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
2016.02.23
Dear
happy birthday to you 2015. .
n1253
2015.12.17
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