A letter from Jan 1st, 2022

Dear Future Me, For starters, happy 18th birthday and happy 2023. I love you. Now on to the important stuff; HOZIER ANNOUNCED UNREAL UNEARTH FOR MY BIRTHDAY. love hims so much. How is the music. I mean, of course its great, but is it Work Song great? Ugh I'm so jealous of you. However, I am not jealous of the big decisions you are having to make right now or this coming year. Life is hard and it fucking sucks that you have to decide what your future is going to look like not even 2 decades into your life. But. It is what it is. And you can fight it in the future. But now, you have to make the best of it. You will turn out alright, just follow your passions. However cheesy it is, follow your heart, love. Don't settle. You didn't write all that angsty poetry at 15 about being different just to be bored and unsatisfied with life. Okay fun favorites: Movie- I don't know where to start I've watched so many the last year. Notting Hill is good. Love Dead Poets Society. Oh, About Time is so beautiful. Shows- I got obsessed with Americas Next Top Model. I re watched ALTA with Nate, still is fantastic. Books- Of course, the Song of Achilles. The Ari and Dante sequel was a bit disappointing. Very sad too. I fell in love with John Green and am currently reading the Anthropocene Reviewed. I hope you are taking care of yourself more. Eating more mindfully. Moving your body even when it is hard. I hope you still write and paint. I know you will. I promise you that you will. I hope you let yourself be your self. I hope you keep fighting the system the only way you know how: art. I hope you are proud of yourself. I hope you love yourself. I hope you are less depressed. I hope you get more courage. I hope you spend more time with your sisters. They love you. They need you. I hope you look at the stars more often and linger to watch sun sets. I hope you journal more. I hope you go on walks or often. I hope you understand how brave you are to still be alive. I hope you haven't lost anyone this year. Losing Mrs J was rough enough. Grief is hard. I learned that the past year. Grief is love preserving. My heart is with you. Have you succeeded in your romantic conquests? God I hope so. No pressure. If not, its OKAY. But, someone to go thrifting with and write about would be lovely. I think your ready. Let people love you. How is your senior year going? I hope you are making and documenting lots of memories. I hope you are enjoying all the art classes I am going to sign up for. How has your taste in music changed? Are you listening to more classical rock stuff of maybe you are into more grunge rock. You know what, all your probably listing to is the new Hozier album, I should know better. I will wrap up with this. Life goes by so fucking quick. Hold it in between your hands and feel it. Even if it burns. This is a gift, each breath. Be here. Stay here. It will be difficult. It will hurt like hell. But nevertheless, go on and search each day for the crumbs of joy that are so beautiful and blinding. They are there, you know it. Sending a whole heart of love from the past, 2022 Ky