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
祝你生日快乐
祝你20岁生日快乐，虽然没有在家里隆重举行，也不要忘记犒劳犒劳自己哟~~~~~~不知那一天你是不是还那么漂亮，漂亮的话答应嫁给我哟~~~~(づ￣ 3￣)づ
没话说
2015.02.18
陈桂轩
新年快乐。你也该18岁了。祝你生日快乐今年我17岁你现在18了。 我是15岁的hm
n5978
2020.11.29
老张，生日快乐！
老张：生日快乐！去年一年，身体还好吗？是一个孩子的爸爸，还是2个呢？去年一年，收获多吗？家里的老婆听话不，你的爱多一点了，还是变少了？今天生日了，要不要带你去吃饭看电影呀？我可以抽空出来陪你呀！
泽妈
2020.01.21
生日快乐
哈哈哈，今天是3.23，我要祝大半年后的你生日快乐～老公，你今天跟我说晚安我都没搭理你，你肯定想不到我在给你写信，你肯定又说那么多呢我想跟你说的是，这一年你辛苦了～26岁的你辛苦了，27岁加油
付丹丹
2018.03.23
生日快乐
最近过得还好吗？希望你一切顺利，写下这封信的时候或许才是我接受一切过去，好的坏的都过去，起码我们开心过，实在抱歉上次生日给你搞砸，迟来的道歉，希望踏上新征程的你越来越好，生日快乐 衷心祝福你
雪姨萌比
2024.11.04
谁家那头猪
25岁生日快乐，时间过得很快，但也很慢，不知道现在的我们还好吗？按照我写信时的想法的话，我们现在应该在同一所学校，你硕士在读我也应该读本，不知道是不是一帆风顺。不管结果怎样，有你在身边就好！
n5717
2020.11.28
生日礼物
今天是27岁的你，你的胸中是否依然保持着17岁的青春和活力，你的容颜是否像你希望的那样山清水秀，你的内心又是否经常保持着风轻云淡，如果答案是肯定的，说明了你没有辜负好时光，也学会了善待自己。
比较幸福啦
2020.03.01
祝自己生日快乐。
逗逼李志毅 今天是你生日 记得要过得开心点 无论有什么烦恼今天都要抛到脑后 就算以后剩下一个人也要开开心心的
n1134
2015.10.07
祝33岁生日快乐
周智康，今天是你的生日，不管你身在何方，心里是否还记得我，依然祝你生日快乐，身体健康！ 一个你已经遗忘却依然牵挂你的人。
倩君890326
2021.05.20
写给二十八岁的你
二十八岁，生日快乐。 我想知道那时你在干什么，你是一个老师，一个医生，还是在做自己喜欢的事？十六岁的你只想努力赚钱，离开你的家乡，现在你在哪里呢？
日光为暖夏亦凉
2018.04.22
亲爱的冰姐
冰姐，生日快乐，看到这封信的时候，还不知道，我在不在你身边，给给你切蛋糕，或者和你吹蜡烛呢，总之先祝福你，总是对的，因为到时候我不一定在，可能因为各种原因。如果不在也请你，体谅一下，谢谢
Starzxd
2021.01.16
寄给25岁的胡女士
“海压竹枝低复举，风吹山角晦还明” 生日快乐25岁的胡女士，
来自LipEnG
2020.12.24
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