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
狗剩儿
狗剩儿，好呀！今天是你的生日，又长大了一岁。尚傻蛆他们都去参加你的生日了吗？祝你年年有今日，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
张儿
我写的第二封好像不知道发出去没，咋回事张儿？我咋那么笨。再来一遍，这次写完我先复制下来，别到时候又完犊子。首先生日快乐必须说，我这逼呢？回是回不去的，但是一定会准时给你说生日快乐，让夜晚的风给你寄过去，可能会晚那么几秒钟，所以你就稍等，我直接让风传达到你心里，我说，张儿，生日快乐，祝安康！我都服了我
张sir
Jan 12, 2022 · Traveled 1 day
这或许是你收到的第一封信
Hi! 你还记得这封信吗？ 今天是你22岁生日，我有些话想和你说 现在，你对你的未来是否还迷茫？是否还在纠结于当初做的选择？是否还在为一个特殊的朋友所困？是否还在悲观自己的人生？是否还在为过去的努力感到不公和无奈？ 我希望你能坚定而有力的否定我所提出的问题，然后给我一个充满自信的回答 现在的你，应该
用户7573751760
Jan 16, 2022 · Traveled 3 years
未来的一封信
亲爱的芳芳你好，最近过得还好吗，不知道你能不能看到这封信，如果你不换联系方式能看到的话，我很高兴，我的信成功送到你手上了我很高兴，今天是你的生日，祝你生日快乐，原谅我以这样的方式，我已经不在你身边了，可能你已经交了新的朋友吧生活上面要好好爱自己啊，不要哭，脾气别那么倔强啦，嘿嘿嘿真不知道说什么，当时
20年的我
Feb 3, 2022 · Traveled 1 year 6 months
猜猜我是谁
嘿我又来啦，我没有忘记你啊今天是我家小公主生日，提前祝你生日快乐呀那一年的今天我也不知道我在哪，不过没关系，你过的好就好了，不能说太多，就这样哈，真舍不得你，看着日子，你有老大不小了，处对象了没，有没有谈婚论嫁啊，哈哈哈哈，祝福你
20年的我
Feb 3, 2022 · Traveled 2 years 6 months
我又来打扰你
biu~不知道信有没有送到，你有没有看到我又来啦，今年你应该要结婚了吧，我不能送你啦好想看一眼，算了算了，我又痴心妄想了，今天又是你生日，祝你生日快乐哦，你老公应该对你很好吧
20年的我
Feb 3, 2022 · Traveled 3 years 6 months
写给未来的…
今年我又来啦，别嫌我了我走啦，这是最后一封了，宝宝应该会走路了吧要好好爱她（他），小孩子皮，好好教他，别打他你脾气犟，宝宝也可能像你，要耐心点知不知道今天也是你生日，给自己点份好吃的，如果会做饭的话给自己做点好吃的，你做饭的话慢一点，油烫笨手笨脚的真担心你，哈哈哈哈，不说了不说了，你该生气了，保护好
20年的我
Feb 3, 2022 · Will travel 5 years 6 months
写给未来的…
最后一封，嘿嘿嘿，你呀你呀，肯定在骂我，别骂啦，今天知道什么日子嘛，对啦，你生日，意外吧，哈哈哈 ，宝宝大了，你应该很累吧，辛苦啦，不知道你还用不用这个联系方式了，，少说点吧，老了，啰嗦了，我一直陪着你啊
20年的我
Feb 3, 2022 · Will travel 6 years 6 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