A letter from Nov 17th, 2021

Dear FutureMe, It's wonderful, isn't it? I want to remind you to not forget me. 21 year old you who has only been 21 for 17 and a half days. It has been a rough start to your adulthood, let's not lie, but it really has been beautiful. This year we met Danny and Nicole, connected with Juanita and reconnected with our cousin, baby Juanita! There have been jam nights, wine, you got your licence! We have done gigs, completed another year of study, things are happening, I can only imagine what you have experienced since now. I have sung myself into a new age and I want to heal. This year we rekindled our love for music, which has been so hard. Do you remember? Do you remember how much pain I felt for it? For music and art and poetry and writing and all the things we love so much. Do you still do those things? Do you still do them? I never want to stop, I never want to give up because to give up one of those would be to give them all up and that is a pain worse than *****. But I'd rather not dwell too much on it because even here and now as I write this, it hurts so much. We have felt our best this year, and also our worst so far but that is what it means to be simply and plainly human. So, as you remember all the trials and tribulations of this hard-earned year, also remember your worth. Your love and patience will survive you, Mitch, no matter what you decide to be, go by or not to be in the future. You have earned your place in this world and have no damned doubt that you know the way. Kiss your friends, Mitch, tell them that you love them, stand up for them and for you. Tell Sara she has been the most important part of your life all these years, how could I ever stop loving her? Be near her when you can, don't let this pandemic, or worse, don't let people who aren't important, dictate the time and love you spend on her because she deserves it all. She makes me feel safe and whole, even when she is not around and I doubt I could ever articulate what that means but, in the end, I don't have to do I? You are me and I am you, you're the only one who understands. I regret not doing this enough and hopefully, after I send this, I can make amends with this regret and be a better person for my loved ones and for me, a better person for you. So stop lying, you're not okay with a lot of things, stop letting people walk over you and communicate, you're interesting enough as you are, my dear. Hiding is great for isolation but not even I like being lonely, I just like being alone sometimes. There are things worth your time, things worth protecting and loving and they are not always one and the same. Pursue your greatness and even if you think you arent, pursue the greatness in the world and the greatness of the unknown and do it with the reassurance that I know you and I love and understand you. Don't forget me while you're out there. You can go anywhere, do anything, achieve all that you want to and know that me, here in what is now your now past, is cheering for you with all his heart. Be kind, be generous and be ferocious. All my hopes and dreams, M.M