Dear 2019 Me,
I’ll sidestep the cliche of “it gets better” by telling you off-the-bat that it does not. In fact, it gets much worse than you could have imagined.
You’ll fall in love with Ireland just as the world seems to fall apart. A deadly, infectious virus will spread, sending you back to your parents’ house in total isolation. You’ll break both of your arms and have to go through surgery, and in the fall there won’t be classes, football, or the senior year you imagined.
No, my love, it does not get better: you do.
You’ll learn to appreciate so many things you once took for granted: running into old friends, having a reason to get dressed in the morning, the busyness of restaurants and movie theaters. You will find hope and strength that you didn’t think you were capable of and that, at times, you weren’t. Despite everything going on, you’ll still make room for laughter, love, and new friends.
It was hard. I won’t bother to pretend that it wasn’t. As much as you try to hold on, you’ll eventually have to let go of all the hypotheticals and what-ifs. There’s no point pretending any of this didn’t happen and there’s no going back to the way things were.
In questioning everything you’ve ever known, you’ll find answers. Albeit, not the ones you were expecting. And while there are plenty of mysteries left to solve, there’s a whole 2021 ahead of you to do so.
Good luck. You’ll need it.
Love,
Your future self
This is so beautiful. I love how you accepted that times were bad but told yourself there would be answers, and some of them will be ones that you wouldn't expect. I think that was the beauty of the pandemic. People found out things about themselves that they never knew. People started to appreciate little things that they never did. This past year was challenging for most people, and a lot of people can relate to that. In a way, aside from the horror that COVID brought and the lost lives, I am grateful for the intimate time I was able to get with my family. As you said, we always made time for laughter and lots of love. Now…
This was such a nice read, it definitely hits home since 2020 was a tough year considering COVID and other outside factors, and like you state in your post is doesn't get better or easier but you get better/stronger. This year has presented unique challenges for almost everyone so I have a lot of respect for Seniors that are graduating this semester under non ideal circumstances. As things begin to open up again, and life begins to go on tough years are sure to still be ahead for everyone, but we'll face them as stronger people.
This was a really cool idea for a blog post and a really interesting reflection on the past year with COVID. I enjoyed that you choose to focus on the positives this pandemics brought instead of the vast negatives. I think this idea of reflection can help cement to oneself how much they have grown through a hardship or trauma. I liked your point about the what-ifs, as I think everyone catches themselves asking these questions from time to time, and its a good reminder to live in the present.
Such a beautiful reflection! You inspired me to do the same, writing a letter to my past self. The world never expected such a disaster, but I believe that more disasters are on their way because we human haven't taken serious care of our planet. The hardships and negative impact caused by Covid need no more mentioning, as in the theory of relativity, there must be some sort of positive changes in our lives brought by Covid. We need to teach our eyes to see them. I think I learned a lot about myself during this special time. I realized there are other things other than work in life that are worth living for. Although it is challenging to get…
Thank you for sharing this reflection, Acacia. No one could have predicted the hardships brought upon us by COVID, and so many people, including myself, struggled immensely. I do believe that a shift in mindset is a powerful tool that restores hope. The moment when you acknowledge that you cannot control the circumstances, but you do have authority over how you react is very inspiring. This letter is honest and conveys sentiments to which we universally relate. Giving yourself permission to accept that there are questions without definitive answers, and step into an unknown process with confidence that you are capable of navigating these tough times is really impactful. I benefited from reading this letter on a personal note. It…