A Letter to a Friend, to Open Together Years From Now
Adult friendships rarely end — they just quietly fade. No fight, no goodbye. You graduate to different cities, someone gets married, and the chat thread sinks to the bottom of the list. But there's always that one friend you refuse to let drift away like that. A letter to the future is a clumsy, earnest way of holding on: write down the stupid things you did together, the dreams you swore you'd chase, the thank-you you never said — and send it to their birthday five years from now, or to a date the two of you pick. When it arrives, whether or not you still talk every week, they'll be holding proof that someone once took this friendship seriously. Many friends write in pairs: swap emails at the farewell dinner, each write one, and agree to open them on the same day — a time capsule you bury together and dig up together. Below are letters to friends that writers chose to share. Write yours while you still remember the details.
Ideas to get you started
- Put in the things only the two of you understand: the joke you've retold a hundred times, the trouble you got into together. Those code words will make them laugh out loud on opening day.
- Say a real thank-you — friends almost never do. Name the exact moment they pulled you through.
- Make your predictions for five years out: same city? Who gets married first? Check your answers when you open it.
- Get them to write one back. Same delivery date, opened together.
Real letters from the vault
262 public letters写给未来的桑世兰
Hey！桑世兰现在应该是2026年了，我是来自2021年的黄嘉琳。五年欸 说长不长 说短也不短 但也足够改变很多东西了 但我知道 改变不了的是我们。到2026年我们认识就有18年了欸 好家伙 成年了。现在你也有26了吧。不知你是否已嫁为人妻 我是不是伴娘啊 有没有小孩啊 我是不是干妈啊 哈哈哈哈哈哈
嘉琳
Feb 16, 2021 · Traveled 4 years 10 months
Photo letter
送给HSX的一封信
Hola,Juanita.这封信是我一年前给你写的，不知道你还记得吗。算算时间，现在你应该中考完了吧，也不知道你考的好不好，去了哪上高中，还能不能继续学西班牙语了。不论你考得好不好，都要好好学习，别忘了你还要去上外啊，你还要继续学西班牙语，你要去好多好多地方旅游。记住，衣服、外表等等都不是最重要的东
n6615
Feb 16, 2021 · Traveled 1 year 4 months
写给小寿星孙梦聪哦或者是梦言大baka
见字如面愿你拥有一段难忘的岁月，和锦绣的前程。没有别的意思，对你确实没有邪念。祝你生日快乐，祝不要忘记梦想，祝能变得更好。
n6647
Feb 16, 2021 · Traveled 5 months 9 days
Photo letter
2021的刘佳
你还好吗，不知道我们的感情是不是一直那么好。如果是的话我很开心，如果不是那很可惜，因为我觉得你是可以陪我从校服到婚纱的朋友不出意料的话，今天应该是我的生日，不知道是不是和你一起过的希望高考后我们还能一起吃喝玩乐，希望我们在不同的道路上越来越好
n6658
Feb 16, 2021 · Traveled 2 years 3 months
Photo letter
亲爱的钟先生
“我是痞老板，今天也没偷到蟹黄堡秘方，但见到蟹老板很开心” “我是蟹老板，痞老板总是想偷我的秘方，但是我不会让他得逞的，我怕这个小东西偷到之后就再也不回来了。”
n6680
Feb 16, 2021 · Traveled 1 year
Photo letter
傻逼熊燕
今天是我生日呢，距离你的生日也不远了，半年了，和你的小男友还好吗，有没有过的更好，变得更瘦，变得更漂亮呢，我是你永远的朋友噢。
n6682
Feb 16, 2021 · Traveled 6 months
Photo letter
。
我看你经常偷我能量，那我偷你的图应该不过分hhh，又不给别人发
n6687
Feb 16, 2021 · Traveled 1 year 6 months
Photo letter
致优秀的小义同学
Holle！我亲爱的小义，哈哈哈。不知道以这种方式再给你打招呼，你会以什么样心情看完这封信。是难过，更或者是悲伤，或者又是开心，咱们谁也说不清楚
n6767
Mar 5, 2021 · Traveled 3 years
致小义
忘了告诉你，麻烦你好好看看，仔仔细细看看我的欠条，我可能真的不欠你100万。哈哈哈，一样你以后别再遇到骗子了。
n6767
Mar 5, 2021 · Traveled 3 years
你怎么样了
好好健身了吗身材变好了吗臂围多少了挂科了吗
即将拥有人鱼线的LT
Mar 8, 2021 · Traveled 3 months
张子欣现在23了吧
亲爱的子欣妹妹 我是佳琦哈，现在是2021年二月十六号正月初五，忽然想为我们这么多年的友情写封信我觉得还是再过几年就更像亲人了吧 其实挺害怕的害怕分道扬镳害怕到最后只是打个招呼 至少现在不是 因为你上学又见不到几次 遇见的人也越来越多 还让我挺恐慌的 毕竟比较害怕失去一个重要的人 我一直觉得你对我总
n6845
Mar 14, 2021 · Traveled 5 years 2 months
Photo letter
写给中考刚考完的LTL同学
中考成绩应该出来了吧。也不知道考的怎么样呢。。现在是2021.3.28晚，正在肝作业。啊这谁能知道你三个月前连自己要上什么高中都不知道呢。成绩高不成低不就的而挺纠结，没什么动力最近，迷茫的很，体测八百米1.5分都拿不到，酸碱盐学不会就很烦就是千万别调档啊！！最近几次考试攒的欧气就等出成绩的那一天啦！
酸碱盐怎么做
Mar 28, 2021 · Traveled 3 months 3 days
Frequently Asked Questions
How does the letter reach my friend?
Just add their email or phone number when you write. On delivery day they'll get an email and a text, and can open the letter via the link or its 6-digit claim code.
What if they change their number or email by then?
The claim code is the safety net — give it to them now, or hold onto it yourself; it works no matter what changes. You can also send the letter to your own inbox and forward it personally when the day comes.
Should I tell them I wrote it?
Both ways work. Keeping it secret until delivery day makes it a surprise; agreeing to write for each other and open together makes it a ritual. Farewell dinners and birthdays are perfect moments to make the pact.
A Letter to a Friend, to Open Together Years From Now
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