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.
How to write this letter
- 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
733 public letters愿你不断学习和成长，觅得幸福
眼下的我生活举步维艰，或许这就是低谷，可我从不怀疑未来是美好和充满希望的，当下学英语从现实上来说就是迫切需要尽快的在当下生活的英语国家站稳脚跟，成家立业，理想的状态是能够逐渐的拓宽知识面，不断的改变和提升自己的学习能力，学会思考，感受繁华世界的包罗万象，感恩微笑的生活下去。一百天
n3885
2018.12.21
写给自己的信v4
hello, 发发，你好吗？内心的发发你好吗？内心的发发：谢谢你，终于让我能够慢慢说出我的感受和我的心声，我觉得昨晚在跟姐去聊了我的天命之后，我确实有觉得释放一些我的天命用一句话总结就是用我喜欢的表演艺术的方式（电影动漫音乐）去讲自己的故事来让那些也在成长过程中受到创伤的人看到希
令狐天都
2023.03.08
给未来的自己
现在在深圳找工作，原来现在才知道，别人为什么说找工作压力会很大，一般的不会去，好的公司不要，好纠结啊，老乔，我想说，最近想你了，可能因为压力大了吧，想你，可你却又不在，有时候忽然会意识到，原来我们真的不可能了。突然觉得，，，爱情，遥不可及。或许上天是想让我面对，想让我回宁波面对现
浮生v未央
2013.06.06
2019427215吴中纯物流1902
亲爱的自己：你还好吗？我是十年前的你啊，也许你对这一年发生的事情遥远而又模糊，但是别来无恙。此时你手上的这封信，是很久以前的你在一个未眠的深夜所写。现在你可能碌碌无为，可能处在人生低潮，又或者正意气风发。曾经你对自己的未来有过无数预想，不知道当初的稚言还有印象吗？关于职业，你设想
吴中纯
2019.10.24
2019427215吴中纯物流1902
亲爱的自己：你还好吗？我是十年前的你啊，也许你对这一年发生的事情遥远而又模糊，但是别来无恙。此时你手上的这封信，是很久以前的你在一个未眠的深夜所写。现在你可能碌碌无为，可能处在人生低潮，又或者正意气风发。曾经你对自己的未来有过无数预想，不知道当初的稚言还有印象吗？关于职业，你设想
吴中纯
2019.10.24
写给未来的…
嗨，3年后的自己：你好！不知现在的你在哪里？过着怎样的生活？还是一个人吗？因为这是你的愿望。还是已经被家里逼的结婚了呢？我想不可能，这不像你的性格，你一定会逃婚，这可不是第一次了，你总是那么的不服气，一定要掌握自己的命运并安排自己的生活，并要心中所要的爱情，3年前的今天，岁月跟爱
初见Susu
2013.05.29
一封来自2024年01月31日的信
今天才说被岁月磨平了棱角，我鼓足勇气才能再次提笔写下。这是一段不容易的时光，充满迷茫，压力，可是我相信你是一个强大的人，一个不需要被命运眷顾也可以突出重围的人，所以“你现在好吗”这样的问候就不必了。十八岁的我提醒着我不忘初心，我不再记得初心是什么可是我相信处于同一命运长河的我们，
淅小汐_贪欢公子
2024.01.31
未来的自己
现在是2020年六月二十三号 凌晨一点三十四分你在武汉路范特区 看到这封信的时候相信你已经走出现在的阴霾了 人总是被七情六欲所控制 她说的死心也不知道是为什么给不出答案这一夜很难熬 六七年的感情付出化为乌有 她说你对她不够好 她说想要自由和真爱 她说我们圈
n5040
2020.06.23
写给安静又活跃的自己
你现在开不开心啊，我是六个月以前的你，我现在很复杂的，我想组cp，和XLAI，可是他的想法是什么啊，我不知道，现在的你呢，还单着吗？如果单着的话也没有关系，单身自由万岁吗，现在狼人杀玩的怎么样啊，和兔子的关系如何？跟喜欢的人关系有没有更进一步？为什么我一直都在追随着他的脚步，可是
肉肉西施
2017.09.20
2019427215吴中纯物流1902
亲爱的自己：你还好吗？我是十年前的你啊，也许你对这一年发生的事情遥远而又模糊，但是别来无恙。此时你手上的这封信，是很久以前的你在一个未眠的深夜所写。现在你可能碌碌无为，可能处在人生低潮，又或者正意气风发。曾经你对自己的未来有过无数预想，不知道当初的稚言还有印象吗？关于职业，你
吴中纯
2019.10.24
来自过去的一首诗
To Life ----Who are you ？ 生活啊，你到底是怎样的存在？ 你让人们面对现实痛不欲生 你让人们面对结果心灰意冷 你让人们美好的梦想破灭 你让人们倾尽的努力落空 生活啊，你到底怎样的存在？ 你让人们面对回报欣喜若狂
Town
2018.08.09
假如生活欺骗了你
If by Life You Were Deceived Aleksandr Pushkin If by life you were deceived, Don't be dismal,don't be wild! In the day of grief, be mild . M
橙子
2018.01.06
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