ALT A photo of Meg’s opened childhood journal sitting atop a childhood blanket, surrounded by various items like an iPod Nano, a red carabiner, a tamagotchi, and a small stuffed giraffe. The handwritten page reads: “Dear Future Self, Hi. This is you. You when you were 12 ¾ years old. You may not remember some things, but this journal is just an answer to this question: hmm… I wonder what 7th grade was like? Because you may not remember all of the details. Maybe this journal is so old it’s turning yellow, or maybe it’s only a few days later and hot off the press. I don’t know where I’m going to end up, or what I’ll be doing, but I am going to—

ALT A second photo of Meg’s opened childhood journal sitting atop a childhood blanket, surrounded by various items like an iPod Nano, a red carabiner, a tamagotchi, and a small stuffed giraffe. The second handwritten page reads: “—remind you of your passions as a kid. Well, you loved to sing. But that’s a hard career route. You also LOVE to write. That’s why this is being read right now, right? I don’t know if you’re dating or married or what. And I’m living in the now so at the moment it doesn’t matter. But if you need to be inspired: look at your past. And if you decide to become an author, look at your old stories. Because those were some great ideas. Love, Yourself at age 12 “

ALT A photo of a newer journal sitting atop a childhood blanket surrounded by various items, including Meg’s favorite childhood stuffed animal, BunBun. The opened handwritten page reads: “Hey 12 year old me, Thank you for writing me. It means more than you know. I actually remember when you wrote this letter. The way you looked at the ceiling in your room with stars in your eyes and a longing for freedom in your heart. I’ve been working really hard to become that woman you daydreamed about. I hope I can keep making you proud. I’m walking a solo path right now but here’s a plot twist for you - turns out, we were into girls all along. I think you might already know that somewhere deep down, but you’re terrified of that fact. And of being bullied even more or loved even less because of it. Someday, it won’t feel so scary, and you won’t hide anymore. And you’ll realize that you never needed a Prince Charming anyway, because you were always the one who was going to save yourself.”

ALT The second opened handwritten page reads: “I never truly forgot. You, or your brilliant ideas. I may have run for awhile, and hid away from you in shame, but you were with me always. And now, you’re in the passenger’s seat beside me for every choice that I make. Especially the brave ones. I am so sorry for how I once regarded you with such disrespect. You were just true. You were right about so many things that the adults wanted to pretend they didn’t see. You are remarkably perceptive, which is problematic to those who do not want their carefully crafted illusions disrupted. But your ability to observe is a gift, not a flaw or burden. And the harm that is happening is not your fault. You are literally just a kid. And I believe you. You were right. All I ever needed to do to be inspired was to look at my past. To look at you. I love you. xoxo, your 28 year old self P.S. I can’t wait to show you just how capable we are of doing hard things.”