Dear future me,

I think you’ll become whoever would have saved you. I remember that boy, 8 years old, eyes too tired and voice too small. He kept hoping someone would notice. Someone who would say he mattered without needing him to explain why.
And when no one did, he started building a version of himself who would be louder, quieter, kinder, stronger. Not perfect, but not afraid.
You become the person who would have sat beside you at lunch, who wouldn’t have walked away when things got hard, who would’ve stayed after the yelling stopped and the silence hit.

The one who says I believe you and doesn’t need a reason.

Because here’s the thing no one tells you. Love doesn’t always grow from what you were given. Sometimes it’s born out of what you didn’t get. A boy with no sunlight learns how to become fire. A kid with broken wings figures out how to build sky out of scars.

I think deep down, we all carry a picture of the person we needed. Not to stay angry, but because we don’t want someone else like us to sit on their bedroom floor thinking they did something wrong.

People say not all heroes wear capes. I didn’t believe them until I looked at you. I hope you turn out good. I really do. I am rooting for us.

Love,
Me