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
Photo letter
今天偶然看到的一首诗
不管昨夜经历了怎样的泣不成声，早晨醒来这个城市依然车水马龙。开心或者不开心，城市都没有工夫等，你只能铭记或者遗忘，那一站站你爱过或者恨过的。
鄂尔多斯没蚊子
Oct 13, 2016 · Traveled 5 months 18 days
给一个月后的你
一个月后的自己： 你好。你还好吗？是不是还在忙成狗？哈哈，我现在忙得要死要活，我不知道这有没有意义，我只知道，我很疲惫。 心辅部、太阳50、创新班、还有入党的各种申请。好累好累，学习真的真的落下了很多。突然间真的身心俱疲。前一个星期真的是元气满满，但是，人总是会有低潮期的嘛，有时候我的抑郁情绪会如潮
n1715
Oct 16, 2016 · Traveled 26 days
Photo letter
张琪你现在过的还好吗。我是三年前的你
张琪不知道三年后的今天你在干什么。过的有没有三年前好。你现在29岁了。皮皮也不小了，父母的年龄也大了。也许你现在过的还不如以前。也许你现在已不在人世。如果能看到这封信件已经很不错了。你现在虽然压力很大。有时候压力大的想自杀。但是没人理解你。。不知道你现在还有没有在坚持做彩钢钢结构。如果坚持做了我觉得
My张有才
Oct 18, 2016 · Traveled 3 years
。
如果回不到过去，那就过好现在，如果我们现在没在一起，那也请你不要忘了我。
荼蘼花开
Nov 5, 2016 · Traveled 6 months
写给未来的…
同一天我寄出了两封同日期寄达的信，凌晨的那封已经写好封缄，到了约定的这天，我们两个都会收到来自过去的问候。 不知道那时候我怎样了呢，是一个人还是两个人。过得怎么样，我很好奇，我究竟会活成什么样子？ 看到这封信的时候，我应该能够画出还比较可以的画了吧。写这信的前段时间，报了网络素描基础班和彩铅基础班，
薇蓝lee
Nov 9, 2016 · Traveled 3 years 7 months
你忘了她了吗
从7月份关注Q，现在看淡了许多。或许只是因为学习不进去才找的这个理由吧
16岁时的骁哥哥
Nov 13, 2016 · Traveled 2 months
愿你安好
也不知道你怎样了，身边是否有一个他了。我笑着说，现在的我很好，曾经的你很好。就是偶尔会有些心痛，偶尔会有些难过。对现在的我而言，我不需要有男朋友，我很好，一个人可以做遍所有自己想做的事，但还是好想有一个人在我身边。我不知道半年会发生什么，所以我仅有的也只有恐慌。现在的我还是对阿双有些后悔，但绝没有那
苏洅不再
Nov 19, 2016 · Traveled 6 months
给未来的自己
Full还记得它的意义吗？斯人若彩虹，遇上方知有。对于他的话有很多但是却什么也说不出来，以前从来没想过我会喜欢上这样一个人，现在的我默默的跟自己说哪怕他说一句等，我就绝不会半路逃跑。但是真的很害怕他并不想让我等，我不知道怎么办。 一年后还喜欢吗？应该没联系了吧，会不会喜欢过他之后很难再喜欢上别人，毕
Full
Dec 11, 2016 · Traveled 1 year
喂
走出来了么 有没有接受新的感情 只是想和你一起慢慢走 我们都相同 有坚持读书 写字 和跑步么？ 这封信是提醒你该出去走走了 只希望 你别将就 不要再为谁改变自己 保持自己的单纯 还记得最喜欢的话么？ 你一直相信地球离开谁都会转 不知道那时候的你还会有从前的野心么？ 还会抽烟喝酒么？ 不知道未来的你
こ胡胡呀
Dec 23, 2016 · Traveled 3 months 9 days
寅
来自上帝的信 寅 这时候你迷茫颓废 找不到自己 我当然知道 我就来自己的内心 或者我就是你 我比任何人更加了解你的天赋 天才从来不该被埋没 我不知道这时候你会在哪里 有着怎样的心情 但是我会告诉你。 你生来便是王 别让我丢脸 兄弟
devil
Dec 24, 2016 · Traveled 6 months
给五年后的自己
您好，今天是2016年12月28日，也就是17年旳前四天。我在宿舍写了写封信，我本该再教室上自习但是今天有点感冒了，又疲倦又酸软，希望你不要嘲笑我。 不知道你现在正在从事什么样的职业？教师？公司小职员？其实这两个我都蛮中意的，不过其他的我也能接受哦。你到现在应该受了很多磨难了吧？现在的我啊，很幼稚啊
n1817
Dec 28, 2016 · Traveled 5 years
Photo letter
给未来的陈诚
元旦快乐 对 因为是元旦给你写的信 很想给你手写 但是原因… 昨天 2016的最后一天 咱俩彻底玩完了 我很清楚的是我作的 毕竟我最大的缺点就是口是心非 也是 正好证明你确实不懂我 但是一觉醒来 我发现我不想醒来不想去面对新的一天 就在现在 我很饿也很想你 这些你都不会知道 之前我没感觉到这么喜欢你
刘希希
Jan 1, 2017 · Traveled 6 months
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
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