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星奇hey
第五天“这就是人生，并不是闹着玩的”茅场晶彦（改）喂，你，还好吧！也许，可能，大概，但是还是要走下去的啊，找个其他的地方进下一层啊
过去的星奇
Feb 20, 2017 · Traveled 4 months 4 days
星奇(σ･ω･)σYO♪
第五天的时间2.17 21:37第六。。。。天，妈的(ノ=Д=)ノ┻━┻生命诚可贵，爱情价更高，若为健康故，我什么都要抛。上吐下泻，你们试过吗？问题是我中午吃的豆粉和下午吃的包子都吐出来了，从鼻子里出来的你有没有见过？看我这么惨了，你稍微考点高分吧(ಡωಡ)hiahiahia ，（怎么可能）别忘了看
过去的星奇
Feb 20, 2017 · Traveled 4 months 6 days
for future xinky part.21
第二十一天，诸事不顺，周围也变得有些不好了无话可说3.7 20:04
过去的星奇
Mar 7, 2017 · Traveled 4 months 4 days
Photo letter
给一年后的你
How are you now ?Would you still remenber the goal that you have achieved in this year?Do you still worry about your body's herlthy?Do you still feel
徐一
Mar 11, 2017 · Traveled 9 months 21 days
三年前的自己对现在的自己说的话
这些是我发自肺腑的话，酝酿着，想对现在的自己说:也许已完成梦想的一半，同济也好人大也好。希望能好好完成三年前对自己的许诺，即使不成功也求自己能问心无愧！不要因为自己的懒惰失去了对梦想的执着。写出这段话时我的眼泪忍不住流了下来，这天刚好是我军训后回到家中，不知道为什么感觉心很累，加上母亲无休止的埋怨，
n1956
Mar 17, 2017 · Traveled 2 years 1 month
写给未来的你邹港宇
嗨 邹港宇 当你收到这封信的时候你在干嘛？一年之后你是怎么样的？可能你是一个很优秀的健身教练吗？不知道你会不会收到还是想把心里的话告诉你和你相遇我挺后悔的挺难过的 但是又是我人生中最快乐的时光 后悔太幼稚的时候遇到了后悔我没有长成你喜欢的类型 如果我有168就好了哈哈你改正了我很多坏毛病 我自己看不
傻子
Mar 26, 2017 · Traveled 1 year
Photo letter
去他妈的远大抱负
说好的，一起走，却在最后都都变了模样。以前总是喜欢藏着掖着；现在干什么都不想结果；尽管最后落得只剩一人。还没有开始喝就已经醉得忘记自己当时狼狈的模样。你说你还是忍不住想起了过去的点点滴滴；只是它已经不再属于你；你说要在晚上准备看一场电影；后来你说你累了，躺在床上不愿起来。你总说这对你好，但是这些年过
思绪开始停留2412
Mar 30, 2017 · Traveled 1 month 1 day
写给未来的…
心情有点小复杂，对未来既害怕又期待，我不知道前方是什么，仿佛隔着浓浓的云雾，看不真切，我独自行走在这样的路上，没有同伴，也不知道未来会不会有一个同伴，走过来拉着我的手对我说：“让我们一起面对命运”，也许我的内心就住着这么一个脆弱的，无助的，彷徨的小孩。我向往阳光，也尽量的想让自己表现的阳光一点，也许
jier
Apr 1, 2017 · Traveled 6 months
感觉怎么样？
what are you feeling?maybe you can feel a little sadness but no problem you can Give yourself a little faith, it's no big deal ,you can choice you lif
n1986
Apr 4, 2017 · Traveled 2 months 6 days
Photo letter
Write to myself----- no aim
Dear myself： Suddenly found this website, listened from an uncle, he said i should write somethig to myself, which including my future, my expecting b
Elena饬樱
Apr 6, 2017 · Traveled 2 years 7 months
Photo letter
对不起，留你一个人
我爱你，很爱很爱。我们还没好好相处啊，怎么就分开了
n1992
Apr 8, 2017 · Traveled 1 day
一个人哭
我很难过，一个人躺在床上哭 心里特别疼，绝望 彻底失去你
Ruru
Jun 1, 2017 · Traveled 3 years
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