Write a letter to your 100-year-old self.

Dear Brittany,

I am writing this letter to us from 66 years in the past. I’m not sure if we’ll still be here, in fact, that’s the true mystery of life we’re never really sure when our number is going to come up and we’ll be called home to Christ but I want you to know-I’m proud of us.

I am proud of all the times we tried and failed but got up again and kept going. I am proud of all the crisis, heartache, and disappointments we faced with faith, hope and love. I am proud of all the times we tried and succeeded to celebrate everything we’ve accomplished. I am proud of all the birthdays, holidays, events, anniversaries, joyfulness, and excitements we’ve faced with gratitude, humility and a strong sense of purpose. I’m proud of all the ways we’ve grown, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally.

I recognize there were times in our life that we simply did the best we could with the tools that we had at the time. Tools which I don’t have yet, but are yet to receive. For all the times we disappointed others around us and couldn’t be what they needed from us-I forgive and show grace to us. I also recognize that for every time we let someone down we also lifted someone up and was exactly what they needed from us and for that- I am grateful we were able to be an instrument of God’s love in action.

By this time, we’ve have likely seen so many of our family and friends pass on. For that, I marvel at our strength. I imagine it’s not too easy, burying somebody we’ve spent so much of our lives with. I imagine it was especially difficult to say goodbye to mom and dad. But I know you, I know you because I am you, and in knowing you, I also know that you would live every day of your life to the fullest to honor each and everyone of the people you lost.

There are so many things I wish for us. I hope we got to live life to the fullest, that we got to travel, see cities, try new foods, and meet new people. I hope that as we rest our head at the end of each day we’re are so proud of the life we’ve led so far. I hope that Tom is still alive and right alongside of us to share your experiences, but just in case he passed away before us, I hope we know that he’s always by our side.

Life is a Bittersweet Symphony, at least according to the Verve. I hope the symphony which made up our life so far carried more high notes than low ones. Wherever we are, whatever we are doing, whatever experiences we faced to make up where we are today I hope we can say our life was well spent and filled with immense blessings. I also hope you know that somewhere in the distant past there’s a younger version of us who’s cheering you on and praying you too.