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对不起
我好像愈加控制不住我自己了，即使改考笔三。突然发现我好像大k，偏执，简直是神经病，天呐，我怎么会是自己最讨厌的人？刚毕业的我，我让你失望了吗？让朋友失望了吗？让妹妹们失望了吗？
Raven
Mar 18, 2015 · Traveled 3 months 13 days
献给未来的第一封信
宝贝：你还好吗？我是多么的想看到未来的你是否过的好，也希望你能过的好。哪怕是比现在过的好那么一点点，也许不会感到那么累，因为现在的你真的过的很不如意，对于婚姻，家庭，事业都是个失败者，拥有的梦想也随着岁月的流逝所消失的无影无踪，而每天过着自己不愿过也不想过的生活来消磨自己的人生和青春！我该如何拯救现
陈刚
Apr 16, 2015 · Traveled 2 years
写给未来的…
宝贝：你还好吗？我是多么的想看到未来的你是否过的好，也希望你能过的好。哪怕是比现在过的好那么一点点，也许不会感到那么累，因为现在的你真的过的很不如意，对于婚姻，家庭，事业都是个失败者，拥有的梦想也随着岁月的流逝所消失的无影无踪，而每天过着自己不愿过也不想过的生活来消磨自己的人生和青春！我该如何拯救现
n745
Apr 16, 2015 · Traveled 1 year
不知道那时候的你在哪里呢。
e我要怎么称呼你呢。 现在我在瑞泽这边上班呢。和吱吱。倩倩。前前她们在一起上班。也挺好的。中间也又闹变扭什么的。不过都是女孩子嘛。过两天就都好了。 最近家里不怎么好。外公生病了。是癌。舅舅舅妈离婚了。爸妈现在也一直在吵。心好累。 我想写一封张长长的信给你。又想一笔带过。觉得事情并没有这么槽糕。但是真
我想去个好听的名字
Apr 23, 2015 · Traveled 8 months 8 days
现在
现在，真的好担心你。。。不知道你怎么样了，我又真的不敢打扰你。可是我真的想知道你现在怎么样。。没事吧？可我。。。不敢打扰你。好纠结。。。
n841
Jun 17, 2015 · Traveled 9 days
Photo letter
写给伤心完毕的付喻该
伤心已经过了吗，不管你是用什么方式痊愈的，伤心都只是之前的事了。今天问他们的时候，心都在颤抖，声线也真的在打寒战，就差一把推下，我就跌入谷底。组长就像茜儿口中的我——自家的菜被人家的猪拱了我罪恶无比但是这是我的真实感受今天才知道并没有那样想我从未说出来的心里想法一样深爱英才，明明就是匆匆而过掉头就忘
ArtemisfuAhh
Jul 10, 2015 · Traveled 2 days
亲爱的别放弃
亲爱的自己，你需要一个目标。你已经小小的了解了为目标去奋斗的路上并不觉得疲累，所以请你继续追赶。可以是一个城市，一所学校，一个人，或者是一个梦想。总之你需要它来鞭策你变成更好的人。在逐渐缩小距离的同时，再辛苦也觉得值得不是吗？亲爱的自己，未来的日子里请你管住自己。不上网并不会折寿几年，你喜欢的书也不
热爱我的热爱
Jul 15, 2015 · Traveled 24 days
给未来更完美的你
Dear me今天，是你的25岁生日。23岁的你，跟你说一声，生日快乐！此时此刻的你，刚刚发送出今天工作的最后一封邮件。一如既往没有约会的周末。一如既往，在工作中挣扎的周末。此时此刻的你，甚是迷茫。工作并不一帆风顺。以为自己撑过年少轻狂的懵懂年华，然而职场的艰辛才刚刚拉开序幕。每天的奔波忙碌、早出晚
n938
Jul 19, 2015 · Traveled 2 years 6 months
写给未来的…
很难受 多想找个人说一句 我很难受呐我不知道这段日子你经历了什么 好像没什么可是却莫名地想抛弃全世界独自成长最终你发现那样的你会伤得更深没错 我信命包括现在所遭遇的幸运与不幸我觉得都是冥冥中注定的可是我也要相信自己是上帝的选民吗我假装不去在意可是现在才发现原来自己一败涂地你经历地太少 你失去得太多为
詹佳莹Vera
Jul 19, 2015 · Traveled 1 year
Photo letter
赵帅逼are you okay？
过的好吗？ 就快要高考了，准备的怎么样，你还是会想念阿嘎嘎，雷管儿，寸扬他们吗，你要知道，朋友是一辈子的，不需要随时陪在一起，心在一起，就够了。 你的脾气还是一如既往的怪吗？你会后悔现在做的事吗？你会后悔没做的事吗？ 说实话，现在的我很颓废，我不知道为什么而活。 我应该让爸妈很失望吧，我知道未来的我
Evillve
Aug 5, 2015 · Traveled 5 months 27 days
嗨！傻逼 ！
傻逼干嘛呢，现在在做什么工作哦？她和你在一起了吗？你现在在哪里？ 不管怎么样 都要坚强好不？ 哈.傻逼 你晓不晓得你现在写的这些 现在是2015 8 5 1 54 大晚上的 跟尼玛傻逼样 嘿嘿 你知道的 我爱她 她不说话 你也知道 那只是你的一厢情愿 应该放弃了吧 嘿嘿 90的可能在你离开欧洲房子
谎言
Aug 5, 2015 · Traveled 7 months 27 days
来吧，新的一周又开始啦
亲爱的秋实： 现在的我怀着期待而又紧张的心情写下这封信，因为不知道经过一个周末，此时的你是怎样的一种状态，喜悦还是失落，快乐还是悲伤。 我愿相信，你所期望的，会实现；我更相信，即使事情没有如你所期，你依然会重拾心情，昂首出发。其实生活不就是这样么，时而充满惊喜和激情，时而堕入谷底的谷底。你的焦虑，你
何如秋实
Aug 6, 2015 · Traveled 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