A letter from Apr 01, 2025

Dear FutureMe, I see you. I see the woman you have become, the one who has walked through fire and somehow still stands, not just surviving but thriving. I wonder, do you still remember the tears you cried in silence? The nights when doubt felt heavier than faith? The moments when you questioned if you were strong enough, wise enough, or even worthy enough to carry the weight of your own dreams? I need you to know that I have worked tirelessly to unlearn the lies that tried to bury me. I have wrestled with fear, fought off shame, and held myself accountable for the ways I have hidden my pain. I have prayed through the moments when my confidence wavered, when I second-guessed my decisions, when the world felt too heavy. I have and am continuing to do the work, not just for you, but for the little girl in me who still needs to know she is loved, she is capable, and she is enough. But there is something I need from you—something I hope you have learned to do better than I have. I need you to embrace every piece of yourself without guilt. I need you to give yourself the grace you so freely offer others. I need you to trust that God’s plan has always been bigger than your fears, your missteps, or your past. I hope you have found ways to release the emotions you once tucked away. Not by suppressing them, not by ignoring them, but by honoring them. By speaking them aloud in safe spaces, by allowing yourself to be vulnerable without seeing it as weakness, by choosing healing over perfection. I pray that you have continued to see the good in the world, even when it tried to convince you otherwise. That your heart is still open, your faith still unshaken, your joy no longer conditional. That you have learned to love yourself in all seasons, not just the ones where everything makes sense. And if ever you forget how far you’ve come, if ever the weight of life tries to make you feel small, come back to these words. Remember me—the version of you who refused to give up, who chose growth over comfort, who decided that her story would not be one of just pain, but of redemption, resilience, and grace. With love, Your Past Self