A Letter To My Future Self

By Rishaan Maken

Dear Future Me,

At this point in life, I’m working really hard to improve my studies. I used to be a 100% scorer for four straight years. I don’t know if you remember that or if you’ve forgotten about your past legacy. The lockdown had a huge impact on everyone, and it made things harder for me. But I’ve made a promise to myself to bounce back stronger. I hope by now you’ve reached success, or at least you’re proud of how far you’ve come.

I also hope you didn’t give up on football like you did with karate (purple belt) or swimming (1st year). These aren’t just sports to me; they’re a part of who I am. Football makes me feel alive, swimming used to give me peace, and karate taught me how to focus and self-control. I hope you still remember the excitement of winning and the lessons from losing, the punches in karate, the diving in swimming (when you almost broke your foot), and the nerves when climbing up the field while playing football. Those were the funny moments of my childhood.

Have Mom and Dad felt proud of you lately? They’ve rarely believed in you, and you’ve even doubted yourself. And your little sister… I hope she still sees you as her hero.

Right now, I’m surrounded by a few amazing people at the new school- Jeevansh, Pranav, and Aarav. They make school fun and support me when I’m feeling low. I hope you’re still in touch with them. True friends are hard to find.

You’ve spread kindness to the world, and I hope it comes back to you.

Please don’t forget the boy who’s writing this letter. He’s unsure about what will happen in the future, but he’s hopeful. He’s trying, even when things aren’t perfect, to make them seem perfect. If life ever gets hard again, just remember that you’ve faced challenges before, and you can bounce back stronger.

Believe in yourself. Keep moving forward. And never stop being kind.