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
587 public letters给18岁陈万水的信
hi 我是15岁的陈万水啊 18岁的你现在顺利的话应该已经上了大学啦 今天是你生日啊 祝你生日快乐18岁了 要天天开心啊！！ 不知道现在的你找到那个对的人了 嗯我不知道说啥了哈哈哈哈哈我今天好想mama啊 以后你要经常回去看看mama 听到没 现在的妈妈还是那么烦哈哈哈òᆺó 爸爸也是 陈思锦现在越
n7417
Sep 19, 2021 · Traveled 2 years 1 month
Photo letter
尹权
憨批，现在中考已经结束了吧，考的怎么样，我们是不是还在一起啊说实话，我是真的真的好喜欢你啊，你是第一个让我能觉得能好像可以一直在一起的人，我也觉得奇怪，我一个老海王居然会真的喜欢一个人，真的是意料之外还有，过几天好像又是我的生日了吧，中考之后的生日……你应该是可以陪我过的吧，或者，如果我们那时候已经
n7447
Oct 4, 2021 · Traveled 9 months 7 days
生日快乐
今天你看到这封信的时候，我的宝贝你已经是17岁的一个大姑娘了，首先我想对我亲爱宝贝说一句生日快乐，生日快乐，生日快乐。这是我陪你过的第二个生日，以后还有好多个你的生日，你的16岁我在，你的17岁我也在，以后的以后我都会一直在，不管是任何事情我都在。不是我想是我一定会在的 。♡ ✨成长不期而遇，生日如
肥大鑫鑫
Oct 7, 2021 · Traveled 7 days
十七岁的enq
生日快乐呀！你怎么样了呀？他还在吗？他昨天醉了，好可爱呀！心都化了
n7456
Oct 7, 2021 · Traveled 1 month 3 days
Photo letter
生日快乐爱你恨你的陌生人
倩，好久不见啊！今天是2022年8月14日，农历七月十七，你生日哈，可能你也不会想到我会写信给你吧，可能我们早已没了联系，我在这近一年的日子里，已经没有你了。不知道你会不会看见这封邮件，希望你能看到吧。不出意外的话我们可能已经分开好久好久了吧，没有再纠缠不清，好像变成了陌生人一样，可能我还是会偷偷看
Zid
Oct 30, 2021 · Traveled 9 months 15 days
未来的你，生日快乐！
未来的你，还好嘛，我不在的这一年，我们有没有见过多的几面，虽然，可能，自那之后我们就没有见过了，但我还是希望你好好的，快快乐乐的，今天，是你的生日，不知道你在哪里过着生日，有没有人给你准备蛋糕和PT，不过，我还是想在这祝福你一句生日快乐，希望明年的生日我可以跟你一起过
n7513
Nov 6, 2021 · Traveled 1 year
亲爱的奉静
首先祝你18岁生日快乐，我是15岁的奉静。你现在终于脱离了学校的束缚，现在的你怎么样了，对现在的我来说未来还非常的充满憧憬，现在是高一上册，懵懵懂懂
肴
Nov 16, 2021 · Traveled 2 years 6 months
2024
今天是2021年12月7日，今年是咱俩一起的第二年了。我不知道，以后还会不会一起。如果，好的话，可能我们俩已经准备结婚了吧。也可能在明年，我们俩就分手了吧。毕竟你父母也不会去接受一个，没房没车的男朋友吧。你在镇江，我在徐州。距离这么远，连房子也没有。分手也在我预料之中吧。或许你也想过。银行的工作，一
春嵬
Dec 2, 2021 · Traveled 3 years
写给未来的冰茉莉
冰，见字如晤 明日余杭小雨，盼带伞添衣。 汝曾言：‘若岁岁平安,可生生不见’，当年悲恸，不知其意，现已心领会之，遂今日斗胆一书，以寥寥数字为引，燃尽往昔。今后不再叨扰，为此信请罪，望海涵。 圣诞与诞辰齐至，愿平安喜乐，略表寸心，伏望莞存。 冬安，望岁岁冬安一只冰茉莉的‘スパークル’https://j
不熟悉的陌生人
Dec 7, 2021 · Traveled 17 days
写给20岁的自己
今天是2021年 祝两年后的自己20岁生日快乐 顺顺利利 平平安安！！
不知名的陈先生
Dec 20, 2021 · Traveled 1 year 10 months
祝你生日快乐。
此时此刻，无论你现在过得是否是你现在想要的生活，这都不能改变今天是你生日这个不争的事实。27岁。一个说小不小，说大不大的年纪。本应该是一个上有老下有老的年龄。一度嘲笑你的爸爸，为什么25岁才结婚。而当时的你不过还是一个懵懵懂懂的少年。渴望长大的孩子，而如今真的到了那个年纪，才发现自己才是那个最可伶的
思绪开始停留2412
Jan 2, 2022 · Traveled 2 months 2 days
未来的狗剩
狗剩儿，好呀！今天是你的生日祝你生日快乐！你又长了一岁吧，尚紫婕他们都去为你过生日了吗？愿你年年有今日，岁岁有今朝！愿你前程似锦，归来仍是少年！记住！爱笑的女孩运气不会差，哈哈哈
n7651
Jan 6, 2022 · Traveled 4 days
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
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