A letter from October 15th, 2020

Dear FutureMe, I know by this point, you will have forgotten about this completely, you will be in a situation so different to the one you are writing this in. I hope wherever you are, you are happy. Right now, I’m writing this in the COVID-19 pandemic, no job, university overload (as always), just the usual version of a stress-ball I usually am. I’m looking for a job, but with so many other people in the same situation, it is proving to be a task. I want you to know that no matter how hard life gets, you have to stay strong. You have to KEEP PUSHING! I know sometimes you don’t want to, but you have been through so much, it would be pointless to give up at the smallest hurdle. Take a look back at all of the hard days you have faced, both recent and in the past. You have made it through 100% of those bad days, why give up at the tiniest inconvenience after learning so much thanks to so many events. Whether it be losing some of the closest people in your life (i.e. Pops, Cal, Nanny), having other’s around you have their doubts about your dreams and goals, or even just having a bad mental health day. You are a ball of knowledge and there is still so much to be taught about the world around you, not only to yourself, but also to other people. At this moment, you are on a journey into a career in medicine. It’s a long journey to becoming a surgeon (I wonder if that’s still your plan of action?) but you WILL get there. Wherever you want to be in the future, whatever you want to be doing, you CAN DO IT! You have the support around you to get there and I believe that you are too strong to give up. I mean, look at your experience during A-levels. Every single teacher doubted we would even pass, and yet I am writing this in the third year of Biomedical Science, about to step into Medicine. We are INCREDIBLE. I believe that this letter is the perfect opportunity for me to speak about the current times and how it’s making me feel right now, only for myself (you) in the future, to be able to look back and see where I stand there. There are so many things that I am facing on a day-to-day basis that are making it difficult to be the best version of myself, but I am getting there slowly. Of course university is one of those things. With everything being online now, it’s hard to keep up with everything in one tiny environment. Staring at a screen for 8-10 hours a day really isn’t the best, but it is what I have to do in order to be where I want to be - persuing surgery as a career. It has been the dream FOREVER, for both of us and I am doing this for you, me in the future. I have been unsure about taking a year out of education to earn money and be able to have a comfortable living for the year ahead, and due to my timing and poor mental health (thanks to the current lockdown in play), I think it’s best that I do take the year out. It also gives time to be gain some more experience in the field. I have some questions for you: 1) How are you feeling? Is everything okay? 2) Have we made any movements on our career dream? Where do we stand at the point of reading this? 3) Did you get HIM? (you know the Person) 4) In terms of friends, who is still in your life, and who is not? Are they no longer in your in your life for a good reason? If they are in your life, are they supporting your every move the way they should be? 5) Are there flying cars? 6) How did you do in your degree? I was unsure how long I should set the send date for this letter, I have gone for a lengthy 5 years, this way there is a lot of room for growth and improvement, as well as the gain of knowledge and progress in current plans. Finally, I have some pieces of advice for you. Anything anyone has to say, DOES NOT MATTER. The only person you have in this life the entire way, is yourself. Look after your body and your mind. Take regular breaks and stay safe. As Pops used to say: “Be kind, be brave, be beautiful, be strong. But more importantly, be YOU”. I hope you are wealthy in love, knowledge and respect. Reflect on this and see how much has changed. I love you (ME). Good-bye for now, Your younger self.