A Letter from Last Year's Me
Plus writing one for next year's Sarah
I first wrote myself a FutureMe letter on December 31st 2012, to be delivered on 12/31/2013.
In that letter, I set myself three personal goals and three career goals. With a few exceptions, I’ve been doing the same thing every year for over a decade.
One shift I’ve noticed in more recent NYE letters to myself - although I still have career goals, I’m more focused on personal goals. I attribute this to the realization that now I’m in my 60’s, “One Day is Now.”
“You know, your whole life, you say, ‘One day. One day, I’ll do this. One day, I’ll accomplish that.’ And the magic of ‘one day’ is that it’s all ahead of you. But for me, ‘one day’ is now. Anything I want to do, I have to do now, or else I’ll never do it.”
The splendiferous Jean Smart as Deborah Vance in Hacks.
2024 was a challenging year, especially the last quarter of it. At the end of 2023’s letter, I wrote to myself:
I am scared shitless about the 2024 election. I hope America is still a democratic republic by the time you read this, and we aren't in civil war…Try to hang on to hope!
And LIVE YOUR LIFE - you don't know how much longer you have on this earth.
Turns out I was right to be scared shitless about the 2024 election. And I remain fearful about our future as a democratic republic. If you’ve read Timothy Snyder’s The Road to Unfreedom, you’ll understand why.
The battered and disillusioned part of me that nonetheless still wants to believe that we can fight for a “more perfect union” is resting up to prepare for the difficult years ahead.
I had some excellent dog therapy for that this morning, thanks to Pia and DJ Ledina.
But the part of me that has wondered how the Jews who managed to escape Nazi Germany knew it was time to leave, and which read and watched anything that might provide clues, is thinking, “What’s our exit strategy?” It’s like a constant low-level thrumming in my nervous system. And I know I’m not alone.
The last quarter of 2024 was a perfect storm of suck. My father-in-law fell in mid-September, and has been bouncing back and forth between the ER and Rehab. He’s now in a different skilled nursing facility. Given that he lives three hours away, it’s meant H being away a lot.
Meanwhile, my beloved Writing Assistant, our dearest Benny Boo-Bear, left us on October 28th, and I’m still grieving
.
I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook memories. This one near broke my heart.
And then, a few days later, the heartbreak of the election, and the enraging realization that I might not live to see a woman president in my lifetime.
Please America, prove me wrong!
I just sent my letter to Sarah on December 31st, 2025. It ends with “GET A PUPPY!” Stay tuned…
Despite the bleak geopolitical picture, there’s a lot to look forward to in 2025. My daughter’s wedding. A scuba trip. My first trip back to the UK, where I spent 15 years of my life, since 2016. Reconnecting with long-time friends, and parts of myself. Writing Retreats. Prioritizing time with family and friends.
I’m going to try to focus on those things, to give me the strength to fight the good fight.
Wishing you warmth, love, light, connection and most of all, the ability to keep sane amidst the chaos for 2025.
xo
Sarah