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写个未来的自己
失恋的感觉很痛苦，第一次感觉到心脏的位置，睡觉会梦到，不经意间都会想起，在这段感情中我们都没有全身而退，彼此都受到了伤害，不知道什么时候才能平静下来，不知道一年后的我在哪里，变成了什么样子，希望我能快快长大吧，又能力去爱我身边的人，不在任性，不在逃避，积极正面的去对待周围的人和事，一年后的小妞，希望
星狼
Apr 23, 2018 · Traveled 1 year
不害怕任何考试
今年单位有一个出国学习的机会，在筛选人员名单考试中，我落选了，因为太久没接触英语了，我感觉非常失落，所以我决定要好好学习英语，战胜自己，将来有一天能骄傲地站在别人面前说出一口流利的英语！
n2912
Apr 25, 2018 · Traveled 3 months 9 days
你是否找回了自己？
亲爱的Ruby，此刻的你是否找回了自己？你要的纯粹已经支离破碎土崩瓦解了，你是否还能重塑你的内心？你还能看到美吗？还能善良吗？还愿意毫无保留的信任吗？或许太难了，但我希望此时的你能拾回你的自信，能决心开始正常的生活，愿意放过过去放过自己。希望此刻的你有了更大的目标，决心做更好的自己！爱自己，亲爱的，
n3053
Apr 25, 2018 · Traveled 3 months 7 days
可能是，好久不见了
尹燕鋆，你好啊！最近可好？你，还记得我么？昨天，我对你说了最后一句，帮我跟凤孃说一声抱歉。然后，我把你们所有联系方式删了。可是我还记得啊，毫不费力就输出了你的微信号。还记得我给你说过我都能记住你的微信号了。你来了句666。当时特想揍你。慢慢的，我发现，我们真的回不去了，你终究是一个过客。只是我舍不得
Dooohy
Apr 26, 2018 · Traveled 2 years
Photo letter
29岁生日快乐！！
啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊啊！！！！！！！刚刚写了一遍没有保存，丢了！！！！！！再来！首先不管过得怎么样，都祝你生日快乐！！！29岁的你是否还如此彷徨？2018年注定会成为不平凡的一年，去年写得要好好待妹纸，但是我好像没有怎么做到。。内心太平静了，毫无波澜。谈朋友不兴奋，就连结婚都很淡定，感觉不是自己要
我的世界
Apr 28, 2018 · Traveled 11 months 2 days
Photo letter
写给未来的某某
我以为我可以无数次的重生，人可以无限次的重生难过伤心然后重新长大。因为总是被人这么对待。嗯，其实我早就明白了，早在我踏入那个地方的时候，那个时候我就隐隐察觉，想要好的教育，想要离开，于是挣扎。我多希望在那个时候在我的世界被封闭的时候，我多希望有人来救我，让我离开包围我的世界。在那个时候我就察觉到了我
大萌等着十二月admoneystudy
Apr 30, 2018 · Traveled 8 months 1 day
Photo letter
写给...
我希望我能飞过窗外，看看那些曾经和我有联系的人，看看他们的脸，看看他们过得好不好。我希望我走了以后，秩序能恢复到我不存在的时候那样，希望我爱的男孩子们最终都能在贵阳这座城市生活下去，毕竟这是他们的城。就像我在班里看到他们的那样。骄傲，傲气，对我不屑一顾。不知道为什么，对于死，特别的焦急，害怕时间一过
大萌等着十二月admoneystudy
May 2, 2018 · Traveled 7 months 12 days
傻瓜啊
嘿，听说你最近一点劲也提不起来哦。这样不对哦。已经期中了，还要颓废多久呢？怎么突然没了目标呢？？怎么？信心被打击完毕？虽然说你六级专四都过了，毕业证人到手了。可是，你的目标仅仅是毕业证？？？这是你吗？那个不服输的你？？董岁娟，董岁娟？董岁娟！！cheer up！！！你可是董岁娟呀！！！怎么可以被打败
董一二
May 4, 2018 · Traveled 1 month
高心要辞职
罗总给我看高心要辞职，其实对我一下子打击还是非常大。说实话，也许时间是最好的催化剂，希望几年后看到能一笑了之
guraena
May 4, 2018 · Traveled 3 years
wnn亲启
这不是特别好的一天，但也不算特别糟。可能也只有在这种日子里我才会主动想到你：既没有麻木地陷在娱乐和食物里，也没有积极地为明天、后天做准备。“不是特别好”的主要来源和成绩有关。你也知道我一直想做交换项目，上学期没做成之后有一段时间心情一直不太好，除了回避还是回避。毕竟失败的滋味不太好受，没人想正视它。
n3215
May 6, 2018 · Traveled 1 year 11 months
我很害怕……
此时此刻，我真的很害怕。我对自己产生了质疑，我知道，这种质疑无时无刻都存在着。我真的害怕自己成为不了一个明星，我也害怕我这一生都碌碌无为，平庸到死。 我想你会实现我们的梦想对吧！我想你会因为嫉妒和抱负实现梦想对吧！坚持和努力是很难，但是到达目的地之后却是无比的勇敢。 一定要去拼一下，你不拼，这一辈子
wuli纯纯的巧克力牛奶
May 6, 2018 · Traveled 6 months
2018年5月8日
乖·····现在是晚上12点07分，我刚刚才到家，今天刚从六盘水出差回来，昨天晚上我一直没睡好，还做了一个梦， 我梦见你带着我们在西昌买的那顶帽子，你的头发好长好漂亮，提着包回来，问我今晚吃什么，我好开心，我以为这一切都是真的，我试着去抱你，但一瞬间我就醒了才发现这是一场梦，我就一直躺在床上思考着，
胡伟里奥
May 8, 2018 · Traveled 2 months 4 days
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