Future Me

Dear Me,

How are you? I would love to know. Did we make it? I guess if we are 100 years old then we did. Are you who I hoped you’d become, or did life pull you down a different path?”

Tell me, what could we have done better? What do we regret? It’s great to be able to contact you, there is so much I need to know. You have the experience to guide me now. Been there and done it. What should I change to make our life better?

Should I be kinder? Did I treat people well? Which path should I take? Now you know the outcome is there anything you would like me to do to improve things for you?

Did our book get published? Did we hold it in our hands? Are we proud of the words we fought to bring to life? Or did we cave and listen to the doubts laughing in our head? Are we an author now? Were we brave?

Are you still writing? Are your fingers still magic? Or did the sadness drown out our voice?

Do you still play the piano? Do your fingers still dance on the keys? Or did we give up when life challenged our peace?

Are you happy with our life? Did it turn out well? Are you at peace with the choices we made? Or do my regrets still keep you awake, tossing and turning in the shadows of the full moon?

How are the children? Did they grow strong and happy? Did we have grandchildren? Did we build that relationship we promised ourselves? Are the children ok? What are they doing now? Are their lives successful? Did we teach them well? Did they learn the lessons from our mistakes? Did we make peace with our son so he could move on? There is so much work on in life as we live it, tell me, did we do all that we could?

Did I make the right decisions? Did it turn out well for us? What would you change if you came back to now?

Should I take the gap year? Should I travel more? I know you know what there is in store. Did we see the world and marvel at its nature? Did we climb our mountains and reach the peaks? Or did we stay in the hills and valleys not taking risks for fear of failing?

Should I eat better? Exercise more? Spend more time in nature or with family and friends?

The project we started was it worth all the pain? Would you do things differently if you had this time again? Did we struggle in vain, lose sleep in the lonely hours for nothing? Did we give up when success was just on the horizon?

I wish I could talk to you openly and free from the fear of the response that might be we didn’t try, did we? Try?

Whatever you are doing I hope you are well, still moving forward, still writing, still caring and hopefully believing in yourself.

Write back soon, I would love to know what wisdom we have learnt that would serve me today. That would make the now better and thus pave the way for you to be now satisfied and deeply content with the life you have spent.

Love me x

The ‘do over’ a dream we all want. The chance to change the things in life that had unexpected consequences. If only we could go back and change this or that.

Rather than write to our 100 year old self with congratulations on reaching that age. Better to wonder what would we change now to ensure the well being and happiness of our 100 year old self.

The decisions we make today change the rest of our lives.