Dear Future Me,

I wonder what it's like to be where you are right now. Are you looking back on your past self and smiling at how far you've come? Are you finally the person who you always wanted to be? As I sit here writing this letter - emotions raw from another impossible day - thinking of you makes everything seem worth it. You're proof of the fact that time presses on, and that I will continue to overcome life's challenges.

All the same, I know it won't be easy for me to become who you are; I'm sure you've experienced success, failure, and all kinds of change that I can't even imagine. But knowing that you're out there and thriving in some far-off future is reassuance that I can and will make it through anything. And even if things get worse before they get better, that's just a part of growth. I need to experience the hard parts of life so that I can become stronger and prouder.

As of right now, present-day me is living those hard parts. I'm physically and mentally exhausted, I'm forcing myself to confront heavy issues, and I'm ashamed of the past and scared of transitions that are coming in the not-too-distant future. You must remember it all, don't you? How hard it was to sleep when your mind and body felt electrified with grief. How severe you were on yourself, and how overwhelming life started to feel. Just maybe, my struggling now is helping you to better navigate future despair. Is my hard work making you proud?

Although you're the one who's older and wiser, I can't help but offer one little reminder: that there is always a future you. As I sit here in the quiet, typing this hopeful letter, there is a future me somewhere down the road who has lived past this very moment - one with fun memories and amazing accomplishments that I can't wait to experience for myself. Likewise, you also have a future you who has out-lived your reality - one with even more wisdom and happy times in store. Isn't it reassuring to know that the months and years bring unimaginable possibilty? I wonder where we will be in another five, ten, or twenty years from now.

In the end, I want you to hold onto that hope; I want you to remember how much we struggled, but how I continued to fight through it all until I became who you are now. And if you're going through your own troubles, keep a better, brighter future in mind. Because there is always a future you who will be proud that you persevered.

With love, Present Me