From Me To You: An Interactive Project Made of Love Letters to Our Younger Selves

Last night, a friend was telling me about how she was at a group meeting recently and they asked everyone to answer two questions: If you could go back and visit yourself at any age…

1. What would that age be?
2. What would you say?

I know that variations of that question have been asked a million times over, but for some reason the anecdote really stuck with me. Weirdly enough, it was the age factor that stood out to me the most, because I think our answers could be really telling as to what time of our life was the most formative.

But anyway…I thought it’d be cool to do something I haven’t in awhile: Create a mini community project surrounding this concept. I posted to my Instagram and asked people to send me their answers, their current age and a photo of them then and now. Below, you can find the submissions received thus far. This is an ongoing project. If you’d like to share your own message (and photo), shoot me an email at allisonbconnelly@gmail.com! More additions coming soon!

From 22 to 14

“People are going to disappoint you and there’s nothing you can do about it. Don’t take on the responsibility, it’s not your fault, it’s just who they are, and how life has made them. When you can be at peace with that, and who you are, you’ll be happier, I promise.”

From 23 to 8

“I’d tell her to stop playing with the mean girls in the neighborhood and the ones at school. They like you because you’re easy to mess with, and they want to mess with you because of how kind and smart you are.”

From 27 to 21

“Formal answer: I’d go back to my 21 year old self the day I attempted suicide and tell myself, ‘you’re going to survive.’ Just that simple, because I don’t know that anything else in that moment would’ve helped. I also don’t know if I’d believe me. But I know I’d survive. And belief in myself is one of the most valuable things I have these days.”

From 26 to 19

“Go to prom with friends rather than a date.”

From 25 to 3

“I would go back to age 3 or 4; I would tell young me that I’m not worthless or stupid, our father is an abusive bully, that we do get away from him but the scars of what he has done won’t fully reveal themselves until now, but we are working through it in a safe space and finally aren’t just surviving but thriving.”

From 23 to 14

“Everything is going to be ok, and you’re going to be so proud of the person you become.”

A.C. Brooke