"Letter from the Future"
In the summer of 2010, I found an old toy box in the attic. Among the plush bunnies and tattered books, there was an envelope with the inscription: "Open in 2030." With trembling hands, I tore open the seal - inside was a letter from my ten-year-old self.
"Hello, grown-up me! I hope you haven't forgotten how much fun it is to play hopscotch and eat three ice cream scoops. And also... have you become a writer?"
I laughed, but then wiped away a tear. No, I didn't become a writer. Instead - endless office reports, anxious thoughts about the future, and a feeling that life was passing me by.
Suddenly I noticed another piece of paper in the envelope that I hadn't seen before. The inscription read: "Read this if you want to change everything."
*"Hey, it's me again, your 10-year-old self. If you're sad, remember: I'm sitting on the roof of a barn right now, looking at the stars. They're so bright! Adults say you can't dream about flying into space or making friends with dolphins, but I don't believe them. Please, don't stop looking for your "roof." And... buy yourself some ice cream. Three scoops!"*
It was like someone had flipped a switch in my head. The next day, I called my boss and took a vacation. A week later, I was already sitting on a train to the coast, where I'd once seen dolphins as a child. I had a notebook in my bag — I decided to write down everything that came to mind.
And in the evening, standing knee-deep in water, I noticed a fin. A dolphin jumped out of the waves, as if waving to me. At that moment, I realized: the letter was not just nostalgia. It was a cry from the soul of that girl who begged me not to bury my dreams under the weight of "must" and "later."
Now, when someone asks what advice I would give myself at 10, I answer:
— Don't listen to those who say "impossible." Take three scoops of ice cream, climb onto the roof and remember: even if the stars are far away, their light still reaches the Earth. Just like yours.
P.S. I never went back to the office. I'm writing a book about a girl who befriends dolphins. And yes, I always get triple ice cream now.
What advice would you give yourself as a child?
In the summer of 2010, I found an old toy box in the attic. Among the plush bunnies and tattered books, there was an envelope with the inscription: "Open in 2030." With trembling hands, I tore open the seal - inside was a letter from my ten-year-old self.
"Hello, grown-up me! I hope you haven't forgotten how much fun it is to play hopscotch and eat three ice cream scoops. And also... have you become a writer?"
I laughed, but then wiped away a tear. No, I didn't become a writer. Instead - endless office reports, anxious thoughts about the future, and a feeling that life was passing me by.
Suddenly I noticed another piece of paper in the envelope that I hadn't seen before. The inscription read: "Read this if you want to change everything."
*"Hey, it's me again, your 10-year-old self. If you're sad, remember: I'm sitting on the roof of a barn right now, looking at the stars. They're so bright! Adults say you can't dream about flying into space or making friends with dolphins, but I don't believe them. Please, don't stop looking for your "roof." And... buy yourself some ice cream. Three scoops!"*
It was like someone had flipped a switch in my head. The next day, I called my boss and took a vacation. A week later, I was already sitting on a train to the coast, where I'd once seen dolphins as a child. I had a notebook in my bag — I decided to write down everything that came to mind.
And in the evening, standing knee-deep in water, I noticed a fin. A dolphin jumped out of the waves, as if waving to me. At that moment, I realized: the letter was not just nostalgia. It was a cry from the soul of that girl who begged me not to bury my dreams under the weight of "must" and "later."
Now, when someone asks what advice I would give myself at 10, I answer:
— Don't listen to those who say "impossible." Take three scoops of ice cream, climb onto the roof and remember: even if the stars are far away, their light still reaches the Earth. Just like yours.
P.S. I never went back to the office. I'm writing a book about a girl who befriends dolphins. And yes, I always get triple ice cream now.
What advice would you give yourself as a child?
