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王心怡 TO 梁诗语
可恶 上传不了图片 加图片就发不出去 只能翻翻我们当年的朋友圈咯
pedestrain
2023.05.09
写给我的大胸研友
不知道你现在需不需要坐轮椅 但是还是要攒钱给你买的 哈哈哈哈哈哈
n3726
2018.11.22
。
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
2021.02.16
写给我最爱的朋友
亲爱的，新年快乐！祝你新的一年里平平安安，健健康康，阖家幸福！
mail
2021.02.07
好同学
我好久不见啦以后时间互相联系不要骄傲和傲气这样也许你会一事无成
涛涛
2017.07.21
光阴似箭 你可安好
这是35年前的一封信不只是否会寄到收到了就回一个吧写信人李静雯
复古热潮_
2015.02.01
至五年后的我们
这是五年前的今天。在时光邮局写下的一封信，小黑。我们还好吗？
时光ol
2014.08.29
至五年后的我们
这是五年前的今天。在时光邮局写下的一封信，小黑。我们还好吗？
时光ol
2014.08.29
问你点事
那个微信号用上了不，骗到人了吗赌你干的很好，朕看好你
1649713412
2025.02.07
朋友们
很多话说，我对不起好多朋友和亲人，我错过和他们好多
mila
2020.01.28
（无标题）
兄弟，夜生活还好吗，快不快活，和最爱的猪猪睡在一起
又又
2018.01.06
元元来信 速速接收哈哈哈哈哈哈
出分了吗六级？我六级过了吗？琦琦 我好想你啊💋
2377684393
2025.09.03
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