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 lettersendless
这是第二封一模一样的信現在的時間是2022年9月16日週五14:27 初三上冊開學的第二週 兩週網課下週復學 下週開始晚自習 我現在就乾著急不想跑步 妳收到信的時候應該是中考體育模擬左右吧 我那時候體育有沒有變好了 今天是妳的生日 初中的最後一個生日 但是今天收到信的時候是週四吧 妳週五可能才看到
endless
Sep 16, 2022 · Traveled 6 months
Photo letter
祝高大个儿生日快乐呀
嘿！大个儿： 首先今个你生日（起码身份证上是今天）， 冬雪不埋小欢喜 一岁总有一岁期新的一岁，喜乐哀愁一笔勾销，从此开始新的逍遥，愿你作为不老少女的日子，永远眼里有光，笑的坦荡，热爱童话、英雄和魔法。“漫天星光沿途散播，长路尽头总有灯火”新的一岁你可能会有新的迷茫，但是记得长路尽头会有你要的灯火就好
王拾捌
Sep 29, 2022 · Traveled 3 months 17 days
20岁生日快乐
20年前，红色的怪物诞生了，象征着泪水。如今她想成为爱意的小芽，开出红色的花朵。生日快乐，一直都做得很好的热烈的洛洛。
n8150
Oct 7, 2022 · Traveled 10 days
生日券
生日快乐宝贝快去找我请你吃饭，哈哈哈给未来的自己挖坑，嘻嘻嘻
n8169
Oct 20, 2022 · Traveled 3 years
写给未来的喻欣怡
致未来的自己： Hi！欣怡 我是18岁的你哟，看到这封信时，是你19岁的生日。先给你说一声生日快乐！你今天开心吗。记得你一直跟我说想要在生日这天做一些有纪念意义的事情，一开始本来是决定在18岁这个特殊的日子来完成的，可惜，这一年恰逢高考，你的18岁也是匆匆就过去了。后来你说你一定要在19岁的时候补上
n8195
Nov 2, 2022 · Traveled 2 months 20 days
Dear 闺宝
生日快乐！！快乐∈（－∞，＋∞） 爱你的慧
双鲤
Nov 12, 2022 · Traveled 8 months 26 days
李
生日快乐 假如你是单身可以领取一个愿望17382787273
黑衣
Nov 26, 2022 · Traveled 1 year 11 months
可以忽略的信
首先在这里祝你跨年快乐吧，这段时间我也有在好好生活啦，我和她过的也没那么幸福啦，我也试着把心里腾干净去爱她发现没用，每次凌晨的时候就会想到和你以前的点点滴滴，虽然我知道都过去了，但是我以后也不会那么幸福了吧，我知道你是真的想退出了，是和我在一起很痛苦吧，我还是想把你追回来，想在你累的时候肩膀给你靠，
辰
Dec 1, 2022 · Traveled 1 month
憨批轲铭生日快乐
生日快乐o！事发突然，没来得及准备什么，我好像都没怎么给你过过生日，挺对不起你的，很幸运认识你，很幸运成为朋友，很幸运一起走过这么一段时间。你真的挺像一个大哥哥的，事事有回应，事事有着落，而且你是唯一一个我相处起来不会有负担的异性，我差点就弄丢了，还好还好，缘分未尽。你比我大一届，所以，在这里衷心祝
n8381
Dec 2, 2022 · Traveled 1 day
Photo letter
15282
亲爱的鑫：你好。见字如面，明天是你的生日（如果我没有记错的话……我记得你阴历生日是6.5，但是你好像过阳历生日的样子，所以我翻了日历，就是明天了），我记得在很久很久以前和你说我给你准备了一个一般人想不到的、别出心裁的生日礼物，当时想的是租一件婚纱，然后我再次献上给你买的那枚金戒指，让你体验一下当新娘
什么玩意儿
Apr 22, 2023 · Traveled 1 day
生日快樂
生日快樂，阿雪！我為了讓所有人能夠被平等對待，頂住了各方面的壓力，對LGBT人群展現出了一種極強的包容態度。希望現在你也能像我一樣，能夠包羅萬象我現在正在為了生活而奮鬥，我相信你現在一定享受到了奮鬥的成果這幾天我這裡出了一些狀況，短短兩週就出現了好幾起自殺事件。你一定要勇敢活出自己的色彩，不要讓自己
n8515
May 21, 2023 · Traveled 1 year
生日快乐
思考了好久，想在零点就给你发呢，还是卡在6:28给你发呢？最后还是选择了在0:00给你发过去！现在的我还在南京的路上暴走（累，你在干什么呢？许个愿吧，在这个特殊的日子！你成年了哦！但是在我的眼里，你还是一个爱胡闹，调皮的小孩，遇见你我很幸福 。因为我总是唯唯诺诺，自尊心又强的要命，所以对你有好多好多
n8527
Jun 27, 2023 · Traveled 1 day
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