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.
How to write this letter
- 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
292 public letters哥
我只想问你一句话分开了接近三年的我们 感情还是一样的好吗？和过去一样无话不谈吗？
程玉玉
2018.03.10
这是2020的天然写给2030噶桧的信
十年后我们还是好闺蜜。呵，女人。
n5468
2020.11.27
写给二狗的一封信
以为是什么？情书？怎么可能哈哈哈你竟然看到了这里哈哈哈哈哈憨批下面没有了真的没有了早！
Orson的3号小迷妹
2020.04.17
给超叼谭绍生的一封信
你怎么那么牛逼啊，牛逼爆了呀，如果你能收到我给你发的邮件，那就快快回我的消息行不行。
2765477492
2025.06.12
来自可爱帅气有魅力超性感的王星烨的一封email
祝您六一儿童节快乐hhhhhh 咱俩马上就要不做同桌了
Izaizh
2017.03.25
夏木绿
glad to see you 支教愉快吗不要吃太多焦虑吗得空要读书学习多背单词
n3616
2019.07.19
……
嗯…我老实了兄弟没想到你那么快就无缝衔接了 当我前几天给你邮过去的信是假的吧！
等下完这场雨我就来找你
2024.07.07
哈喽，，力程
你暑假在哪玩呢，还是在哪打暑假工，现在你在打王者，好了，收到回我，郭智豪
小豪
2018.04.20
傻瓜张舒
马上就放假了，也行现在已经放假了也说不定，好久没见你了，找个时间约一下呗
夕阳一起吃饭
2015.06.03
亲爱的死屁眼
死屁眼，现在外面下了好大的雨噢…你们那边有在下吗？噢你肯定睡了吧小婊砸
把太阳吃掉
2015.07.22
哥们
当年决定坚持的事情还在坚持吗？还有健身吗？当年的目标实现了吗！加油！
n4148
2019.03.31
曾一！Happy birthday！
锵锵锵～！生日祝福送到！我可爱的后桌 我试试能发表情不 只能这样！
906h
2015.12.10
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
Write yours