Woman opened letter she wrote for her 30th birthday 10 years ago—it has the internet in a chokehold
Looking back on life and one’s youth is a bittersweet and nostalgic experience. Often, there is a lot we wish we could have told our younger selves and vice versa. A woman who goes by u/Canspeakgerman decided to give this a shot but writing to her 30-year-old self 10 years in advance. Written in 2014, the woman noted every bit of advice she had for her future self, along with other treasures. She opened it a decade later to find a message she needed. Her words and bits of wisdom nostalgically hit home to every adult and are an inspiring read.
The letter begins, “Holy sh*t, are you really 30? That seems so old and I thought 20 felt old.” Writing down her dreams of having a family, career and so on, the woman asked where her 30-year-old self had achieved everything she wanted. “Do you remember what it was like, in modest 2014, to be a 20-year-old trying to figure out her way in life?” she asked. Reminiscing about treasures from her time, the woman noted how “Tablets, like the iPad, and e-readers, like the Kindle, are pretty popular.” She went on to make the letter a full-fledged conversation with her future self, sharing trends, movies, songs and more from 2014.
A lot of the then-prevalent problems seemed to be the worry, just like today’s problems grip our minds. Out of all honesty, the woman noted she felt “scared” about her graduation at the time. Getting her internship was her top priority. “I suppose in hindsight, it won’t have seemed so bad, but at the moment this is what worries me about life,” she wrote. The letter added the need not to take things too seriously — a reminder she perhaps needed even 10 years later. Asking about how her life turned out, the then 20-year-old posed the important questions. “Do you enjoy your job? How much do you make $$$? If you’re not happy with your job… you’re only 30! It’s not too late to do what you really want to do with your life! If you are happy, congrats because you’ve figured out what I haven’t yet,” the contents read.
To imagine how the reader rewound in time to those feelings and connected them to the present was touching. Asking about whether she was married or not, the woman added, “I just hope you’re happy with that decision. If you aren’t, don’t give up! 30 is the new 20, you still got it.” As the letter came to an end, the youngster left a bit of a reminder — “Don’t forget about taking care of yourself and don’t let 30 years of life get you down or wear you out. You still have decades ahead of you.” Inviting her to be open-minded, the 20-year-old hoped she would know she’s still young enough to live to the fullest.
“Try new things and get out of your comfort zone once in a while,” she challenged her future self. Sharing another important message, the letter read, “Look forward but don’t forget the past!” People were awestruck by how a 20-year-old managed to leave priceless pointers with a nostalgic dose for someone a decade older. A little of everyone’s younger self was brought back to mind, recalling what their truest hopes and wishes were and whether they lived up to them or not. u/theBumblingestBee said, “I love how encouraging you were to your future self.” u/Pineapplevega added, “This made me cry!” u/PurpleMonkey3313 noted, “You've inspired me to do the same.”
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