A letter from July 6th, 2020

Dear Future Riley, I really hope you still have the same email address in five years because I need you to hear this. By now you’re 23. You’re possibly graduated from college, hopefully have a steady job, and are probably in a relationship or are dating. I need you to remember something. This weekend was fourth of July weekend, a very busy weekend at work for you. Yesterday, you had a really hard day. Dad is up from South Carolina and there’s a lot of drama and a lot of mixed emotions. You had your senior prom but cried for awhile before you went because of the stress you were under with your family. You cried on the drive to Dunkin yesterday while your mom was ranting about your dad because you couldn’t fathom why you were born into such a ****** up family. Going to work only made it worse. You were cleaning bathrooms, feeling sad and alone, while listening to the laughter of happy families all around you. It tore you apart. It reminded you of how life used to be when your parents were together and you used to create happy memories similar to the ones the families around you were making. Sometimes I think I wish life hadn’t used to be so good so I didn’t have something to miss, I wonder if you still feel the same way. Your family has changed drastically since then and you hate that you weren’t given a family like those at the campground. You can’t understand why you were given the life you were. Today on your way to work, you were crying so hard that you had to pull off into the church parking lot because you couldn’t see the road. You screamed and punched the steering wheel, asking God “why me?” You’re not even religious. I’m here to remind you that you have to break the cycle. If you’re in a relationship right now and you can’t picture yourself having a genuinely happy family who camps at the lake, please end the relationship. You have to give your kids a better life, you have to give yourself a better life. The thought of raising kids who never have to go through this is the only thing giving you hope right now, please don’t let me down.