Dear Younger Me . . .
If You Could Send a Letter Back in Time to Yourself, Would You?
Hey Readers!
Have you ever written a letter to your past self? It’s an incredibly powerful way to reflect on all of things you’ve overcome and lessons you’ve learned. Not only that, it’s a great way to build compassion for yourself and others as you realize we are all in different phases of this journey of life.
I was thinking about this recently. Imagine if you could send a letter back in time to yourself? What would you say? Would you share advice or encouragement? Would you give yourself a warning of potentially hazardous events to come? Or maybe share lottery numbers? I can’t help but think of the movie Back to the Future as I write this! While Biff’s knowledge of what to bet on from the Almanac turned out negative, the fact that Doc opened Marty’s letter ended up saving him. So, who’s to say if doing such things would be good or bad for the time continuum? Seems like it matters what kind of person you are.
My Fascination with Time
I’ve always been fascinated with time and the way one action ripples to the next, influencing not just our own lives, but others as well. When the pandemic hit, I became even more obsessed with time, as for the first time at least in my life, it felt like the world was truly standing still.
Before the pandemic, I was always worried about being late, not having enough time, when to schedule things, etc. Life was very much a “go, go, go.” You know the drill, up early to fight city traffic and get to work on time. As an attorney with a family and a long commute, I had to plan everything down to the very last second. Then, suddenly, everything stopped. Sure, I still had meetings on Zoom, but things felt different. I was no longer worried if I left at exactly 5:58 am to get to work at 7:32 am, or how long it took me to walk up three flights of stairs to my office (side note, I hate elevators).
Simultaneously, I was dealing with grief. I lost two family members within a few short years of each other. I started wishing for more moments with them. I wanted to go back in time, change things. Warn them. Stop them from dying. Bring them back.
Of course, that’s not possible. So naturally, since I am a writer, I wrote a story about it instead.
Writing All These Threads of Time
These ideas and feelings all played a significant role in creating my novel, All These Threads of Time. The story is one hundred percent fiction. Obviously, I’ve never time traveled, never chased a serial killer, or was involved in a murder investigation. Still, within the central themes of the story, there are truths. Truths of missing the ones we love, wishing we could change things, learning family secrets we didn’t know about, forgiving others and ourselves for past mistakes, and making sacrifices for the ones we love. At its core, it’s about embracing life, not being afraid, and standing up to the things or people that try to hurt us.
So, today, I want to encourage you to take a moment to write to your past self. What do you want that younger self to know? What reassurances would you give? What lessons would you share?
As for me, I’d tell myself to not worry so much. It will all work out. Stop second guessing yourself. Take care of your health. Don’t worry about what other people think. Just keep staying true to you and know, in the end, what doesn’t happen wasn’t meant to be, because so much more is waiting for you.
Till Next Time,
Sarah
AKA A Busy Lady
P.S. Some Other News . . .
1. Book Events: I have a book signing coming up on October 5th 10:30 am at Pourings and Passages Bookstore in Danielson, CT. I’ll also be participating in a book giveaway at the Town of Killingly CT Community Event on August 19th. More book events are coming . . . including a signing at Barnes & Noble. Stay tuned!
2. New Projects: Do you enjoy reading “The Write Life”? If so, I’ve got news! I’m working on a book version of this author adventure. Stay tuned!
3. What I’m Reading: I just finished reading The Dallergut Dream Department Store by MiYe Lee. It was such a fun, imaginative read. I’m now reading Across Oceans by Kelsey Gietl. To find out what else is my beach bag, check out my social media video to be posted on Tik Tok, Instagram and Facebook this Saturday am. What are you reading?
4. I’m on a beach vacation next week! As a “Busy Lady” I know how important it is to fill your cup. I won’t be doing a big post next week. But don’t worry, I’ve scheduled a little something special for you. Hint: If you liked my past Poets Time Travel posts last April, you’ll like this one.
Have a great week!
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