When It Hurts, Write to the You Who Made It Through
Some kinds of pain are hard to hand to anyone. Telling friends feels like being a burden; telling family means making them worry; posting it online is too exposed. So it stays lodged in your chest, replaying at 2 a.m., getting heavier each time. Writing it down is one of the most consistently proven ways to loosen that knot — and writing it to your future self adds something more: a quiet assumption, built right into the envelope, that a day will come when you're out the other side, calm enough to read this. People have written here on the night of a breakup, in the week they were laid off, from a hospital bed, and after losing someone they couldn't imagine losing. Most of these letters were sealed in tears. But opened a year later, nearly all of them say the same thing back: you made it through. Below are letters their writers chose to make public — because they wanted whoever is hurting right now to know this road has been walked before, all the way to the other end.
Ideas to get you started
- Don't compose — pour. The hurt, the anger, the fear, exactly as they are. This letter has no other reader; it doesn't need to be presentable.
- Write down what actually happened. The pain will fade, but what you went through deserves to be remembered truthfully.
- Give future-you one small, gentle assignment: eat at that hotpot place for me. Get a full night's sleep for me.
- If someone is being kind to you right now, put them in the letter. When you're through this, remember to thank them.
Real letters from the vault
615 public letters是不是所有的初衷 都会被时光磨灭
我知道，那一年的你也许会质疑自己的生活，时常在抱怨生活如一潭死水毫无起伏，安静得仿佛不存在；我知道，2012年的那个夏天，穿过洒满阳光的林荫道，越过漫长的时光隧道，记忆中的你一如既往的喜欢一个并不会有结果的人；我还知道，你拼命在冗长的时光中挣扎，认为只要披荆斩棘，义无反顾，时间会给你一个交代。 那么
执屿
Nov 6, 2015 · Traveled 2 years 7 months
11/10/05:54
早。四点多突然醒了睡不着。分手第一天快乐。你知道悲伤的五个阶段吗？Denial Anger Bargain Depression 最后是acceprance昨天花了两小时越过了第三阶段，直接到了depression，我发现这阶段是个坎儿，因为它很容易到第一阶段denial. 尤其是前一秒我们还在朋友
tyj小可爱没头脑
Nov 10, 2015 · Traveled 1 month 23 days
你好
我坚信两句话第一句“梦想是什么？ 梦想是其实是一种让你感到坚持就是幸福的东西”第二句“你感到迷茫的原因是因为你的才华配不上你的梦想”所以梦想是毒药所以我感到迷茫去年一次次告诉自己 你是最棒的 你是不可被超越的你一定会成功 我会一遍遍默念我要
小破孩155
Nov 16, 2015 · Traveled 2 months 16 days
你好
我坚信两句话第一句“梦想是什么？ 梦想是其实是一种让你感到坚持就是幸福的东西”第二句“你感到迷茫的原因是因为你的才华配不上你的梦想”所以梦想是毒药所以我感到迷茫去年一次次告诉自己 你是最棒的 你是不可被超越的你一定会成功 我一遍遍默念那时候我的才华配得上我的梦想那时候我有梦想那时候我在努力最后呢？最
小破孩155
Nov 16, 2015 · Traveled 2 months 16 days
你好
我坚信两句话第一句“梦想是什么？ 梦想是其实是一种让你感到坚持就是幸福的东西”第二句“你感到迷茫的原因是因为你的才华配不上你的梦想”所以梦想是毒药所以我感到迷茫去年一次次告诉自己 你是最棒的 你是不可被超越的你一定会成功 我一遍遍默念那时候我的才华配得上我的梦想那时候我有梦想那时候我在努力最后呢？最
小破孩155
Nov 16, 2015 · Traveled 2 months 16 days
我是3年前的你......
Dear FutureMe, 邱大作家，我应该这么叫你了吧？我是3年前的你，此刻我在安琪尔厂房二楼，离职前夕，有对前途未卜的担心，有对梦想的孜孜追求和无法割舍。多希望此刻的你嘴角挂着笑容对我说：傻孩子，没必要担心这些，你的未来美好如花，前途灿若星河。而且，你会遇见一个很爱你的人哟~ 生活总是让我们变
n1202
Nov 17, 2015 · Traveled 3 years
好久没写，用来亲吻岁月中可人的自己
我好久没用这个给自己写信了，最近的自己有些盲目和消极。工作不稳定，于是辞职，也没有再稳定的寻找，我觉得我活在自己的世界中太投入了，与身边的人变得格格不入，有些脱离。以上是在此之前…接下来
赵凌的围脖
Nov 18, 2015 · Traveled 1 month 14 days
你好
辛儿你好我现在很压抑压到喘不过气不知道怎么做才算正确懵懵懂懂出来打工已近六年学到了什么 改变了什么经历了什么只能说往事不堪回首做错的于错过的太多太多不应该这样讲只要是错过 都是我做错了从来都不敢回想自责 自责自责到不去想为止我不怨天尤人都只是怪自己我不是一 正直 明事理 的人即可怜又可悲不敢想过去未
小破孩155
Nov 19, 2015 · Traveled 3 years
给现在一个期许，给未来一个回忆
亲爱的自己，三年前的今天我想写给你！最近情绪低落所以有这样的情怀，不知道现在你是否还仍然有这样的情怀~11月14日结束了一段一年半的感情，谁也不知道分手的真正原因，只有相爱的两个人知道。故事很长，我们只说结果——结束了！每一段经历我都会成长，26岁，一个尴尬的年龄。青春的尾巴，我却刚刚成长。以前做过
小乔abc76
Nov 20, 2015 · Traveled 3 years
12、2
今天是我们分手的第二天， 有些记不起昨天给你写了什么 我好想你但我没办法跟你说了。 我今天听了一首歌“我知道那些夏天就像你一样回不来” 一天窝在家害怕出门妈妈担心我怎么了， 我挺好的。 你按时吃饭了吗 别抽那么多烟了猜你嗓子和感冒还没好呢吧 别人跟我说你过的挺好的 还发了照片给我 你躺在椅子上玩手机
穆爷Ha
Dec 2, 2015 · Traveled 1 day
12.03
今天是我们分手的第三天， 通了个宵 听了一宿的安和桥 抽了一宿的烟 早上七点拽着妈妈陪我去洗澡。 搓澡的阿姨非常温柔的问我 宝宝呀 外面还下雪吗 鼻子有点酸第一个叫我宝宝的人。 洗完澡去打吊瓶嗯.. 接着听安和桥 曲航给我打了电话 他问我你这周回来吗 我说应该吧.. 我挺想你的 你回来吧我看看你 虽
穆爷Ha
Dec 3, 2015 · Traveled 1 day
12.04
分手后第四天 可能压力太大睡得晚想让妈妈早点睡所以昨晚自己睡。 做了梦有人在我耳边说了一句话我就吓醒了缩在被里成个球。 今天是分手后的第四天，可能是曲航故意的吧， 让你和我遇见 其实我挺想见你的我又不想跟你说话 你送我走的临走前挽着胳膊走了一圈对于我来说 是这几天最大的幸福了。 从我到了酒吧， 我就
穆爷Ha
Dec 4, 2015 · Traveled 1 day
Frequently Asked Questions
Will anyone else be able to read this?
No. Letters are private by default — only you, on delivery day, can open it. Going public is entirely your choice; every letter on this page was shared deliberately by its writer.
Does writing it down actually help?
Expressive writing has a substantial body of psychology research behind it. Many users describe the moment they hit "seal" as physically handing over part of the weight.
What if, a year from now, I don't want to be reminded?
All that arrives is a notification — whether you open the letter, and when, is up to you. For what it's worth, most people report reading theirs with a smile.
What if things feel really serious right now?
A letter can keep you company, but it's no substitute for professional help. If what you're feeling is affecting your daily life, please reach out to a counselor or a mental health helpline where you live.
When It Hurts, Write to the You Who Made It Through
Write yours