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写给将来也许会给好的我自己
2019.04.17在着数不清的睡不着到第几个天亮的时刻。。总觉得应该做点什么记录。父母强迫我回到他们身边。但是又不是真正“身边”。只是希望我能按照他们所安排的那样，生活在他们的周边。依旧被监控，但不同的只是在于，我便不再属于他们家，女儿家总归是“外人”。而所谓的亲戚在身边的热闹感，越大越无法感受到
Colayuan
Apr 17, 2019 · Traveled 1 year
给一年后的自己
Hi，五年后的自己，日子过得还好吗？现在的我很迷茫，三十难立，没房没车没存款没对象，看不到未来。空闲的时间全荒废了，游戏、追剧、发呆等等。聊得来的朋友没有几个，真正关心你的人很少。面对即将到来的中年危机，心里好没底。父母年纪也大了，也不能为他们做些什么。现在就是一个困局。Life is hard.
n4177
Apr 19, 2019 · Traveled 5 years
Photo letter
五年后的我，你好
你好啊，五年后的自己。现在是2019年5月2日星期四下午16.20分。不知道你现在过得怎么样，应该是一个大学生了吧。过得还好吧，有没有成为自己想成为的人，考的是梦想中的大学吗，专业喜欢吗，哈哈。今天是一个很特殊的一天，还记得张恩熙吗，那个你高一的同学，分班那会可是很难受啊，每次下楼就会看一眼三班的那
万世
May 2, 2019 · Traveled 5 years
Photo letter
不知道今天对你来说还会不会有意义
有可能。在好久的未来你才看得到这封信，不知道我们还在不在一起。今天是我们在一起的第89天，可能没有因为你已经跟我分手了，我等着你所说的复合你说在今天你会给我一个蛋糕没有也没关系只要这个时候我们还在一起就是给我最好的生日礼物真的很喜欢你，不知道你是否还如此-----写于等你消息的漫长时光
n4236
May 31, 2019 · Traveled 1 month 12 days
那时
你还爱着她吗，那个曾经让你奋不顾身的女孩，也是第一个让你留下眼泪的女孩，你还恨她吗。
n4255
Jun 4, 2019 · Traveled 1 year
嗨，你好吗
希望你能认清自己的本心，你想如何过下去，在没有她的日子里，也请坚强些！
仓廪一间
Jun 20, 2019 · Traveled 7 days
给初三毕业的自己
朵朵你好鸭！现在是19年8月15日，最近香港暴动哦，我作为祖国的妈妈粉要保护我们的祖国爸爸(中国冲冲冲)，现在是早上10：17，我发现妈妈有丶更年期哈哈哈，和现在的你说什么呢，有考上好高中吗，有去到桂林吗?如果没有 兴中也挺好的哦(我的目标是桂林)你肯定不会再一次发挥失常的，对吧！现在的我，有好好学
朵朵要长高鸭
Aug 15, 2019 · Traveled 2 years
被憋坏了
我真的被憋坏了，就像一只河豚。我不知道怎么办，似乎找不到出口！我讨厌这样的我！！！！！！
guraena
Aug 31, 2019 · Traveled 5 years
遵循内心
某一天晚上，拍摄完回来忙完已经十二点了，我已经没有心思和动力去做任何事了。回家路上，和司机聊了起来，就突然发现，连个好好说话的人都没有。对朋友，似乎感觉诉苦像是在做作，于是乎，边跟司机聊天，带上耳机，感觉想远离这个世界，就像，隔绝外界的森林，湖边搭建着一栋小木屋，时间很安静，放佛静止一般。虽然内心感
慢慢走
Sep 30, 2019 · Traveled 6 months
祝你 变得更好 更强
某一天晚上，拍摄完回来忙完已经十二点了，我已经没有心思和动力去做任何事了。回家路上，和司机聊了起来，就突然发现，连个好好说话的人都没有。对朋友，似乎感觉诉苦像是在做作，于是乎，边跟司机聊天，带上耳机，感觉想远离这个世界，就像，隔绝外界的森林，湖边搭建着一栋小木屋，时间很安静，放佛静止一般。虽然内心感
慢慢走
Sep 30, 2019 · Traveled 6 months
Photo letter
2019的第三封信。
为什么今年快结束了，却才只有3封future me呢？因为今年上半年，都是一切非常顺的。忽然执笔，不用说，就是心里有了困惑和烦恼呗。这份才一共去了没几天，却已经感觉很久很难熬的工作，不知道能撑到什么时候呢。其实像彬儿说的，也不知道我为什么非要熬，明明没有任何熬下去的意义，也不需要向任何人证明什么。所
R_Moku
Oct 7, 2019 · Traveled 2 months 24 days
写给未来的…
今天，20191010.我不想现在跟你讨论什么东西，我的情绪做不到，只能放在两个月后。我图你什么，图你忽冷忽热，图你让我受尽委屈，图你让我胡思乱想吗，我该不该告诉你，我可能怀孕了，你会在乎吗，你不会，你都不爱我，还会爱我的孩子吗，我自己看着验孕棒一深一浅两道杠，无助又害怕，我该向谁求助，你就这样随随
付丹丹
Oct 10, 2019 · Traveled 2 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
Write yours