A letter to me.

I was invited to participate in a contest in which you write a letter to yourself and send it back to yourself in time. The question was posed, what would you tell yourself to alter your future. Would you give yourself the winning lottery numbers? Woul

Hey kid,

This is me, actually you.  It is us in the future.  I am writing to you to let you know that it will be all right. 

I am thinking that perhaps you are not quite sure this isn’t a prank of some sorts.  I was there and dreamed the dream that let us know that Paws was happy where he was.  I was sad to know he would not be coming home to us but comforted to know he was ok.  God talked to us in that dream.  Ok so maybe we told someone about that dream and this could be them pulling a fast one. 

Hhhmmm...Oh yes, I know what we did to Pumpkin and Angel.  I know we have never told anyone about that.  It will go to our death with us. 

I am unable to explain how I can write this to you from 21 years in the future.  There is a great power held in being able to do this.  I could help us avoid so much pain and woe.  I could give you next weeks lottery ticket numbers and change our future.   That would change who I am today.  I like who we have become.

You hold many dreams of the future.   The dreams will be dashed against a cruel rocky shore.  Your life will become unrecognizable to you.  Hang in there kid.  It makes us who I am.  I will not give you information to change what is to come.  I only offer support and comfort. 

Do not be angry at God.   Be angry as hell at religion and it’s people.  Love God and know that He will be with you even when you can not feel him there.  He loves you.  He is still creating who you are to become.  He holds a hammer and a chisel and is carving you into me.   He holds the same hammer and chisel here in the future.  He is still carving away  that which is unpleasant and creating who we will be tomorrow and in the ever after. 

Your tears will be many.  Hold on tight.  Know that in the future you are beautiful.  You are strong, smart, funny, and kind but nobody’s fool. 

Be cautious on how you judge others.  I can tell you this with out fear of changing the future because I know you now better than I knew you then.  It will take years of carving before that advice will change us.   This is why I am going to allow the agony that I know awaits us.  If I were to allow us to have all that we wish for as you read this letter, we would become someone that is not beautiful, nor strong, smart, funny nor kind.  We would remain a fool. 

Trust God.  Endure the hammer.  Long for the chisel that will allow us to become me.  You are here with me just as I am there with you.  You will like yourself better in 21 years than you do today. 

Today we are blonde and almost thin.  We are in love.  I won’t tell you what we do for work and where we do it because you would not believe me.   I will tell you that we love it and you will be surprised.  We still love old houses and live in an old victorian with a view of a river that is under tidal influence.  It is beautiful.  There is a willow tree in the back yard. 

You should not have been trying to read this while driving. 

Hold on because you are in for one hell of a ride.  Keep us safe.  Have faith.  Become strong.  Become me. 
 

Reviews

[BrightEyes]

I adored this. From beginning to end. What a wonderful thought...to write a letter to past selves...not to change the past....but to help us through the suffering we know we endured. I'm at a loss for words...I don't know what else to say. Awesome.

laura

[Cold Coffee Magazine]

This is the first in a line of many submissions I hope to read. I will read each over again before judging giving time for any changes you as the writer might decide to put in place.

Betsey, I think you show great perseverence and pride in tellin yourself nothing that will change who you've become. You could have done so many things that might improve who you are but yur smart enough to realize that in doing so might also change other things as well.

Well done. I'll read it again later.

Thank you,

Dave