A Letter To My Future Self

Back in 2019, Dan Jon and the rest of his year at School were given some homework in their Religious Studies class, to write a postcard to themselves. The idea was that these wouldn't be marked, or read by their teachers, but would be sealed up and given back to the children around the time they take their GCSE's. I decided that I would take part too. Although, my postcard is this blog post and well, you can all read it too!

Dear Pippa (and people who hopefully still read her blog),

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

So it's 2024 and this blog post has finally been posted. I bet for the last five years it has really annoyed you because it has sat in your scheduled blog post folder, not being published and giving you false hope that you were a little more prepared than you thought and had a blog post ready to go.

Sorry about that (Oooh! Do I still sound like Hagrid when I say that?).

Well, first things first. You'd better still be friends with Flyfour. That man is a saint to put up with you/me. Crazy ideas, crazy family, crazy adventures and apart from the odd moment or two he just goes along with it. As long as you two still remember that under everything you are friends, that you love each other dearly and have fun when spending time together then I know the last five years have been good.

Secondly, What's your church calling? Did you finally get released and attend Relief Society for a while? When I wrote this, I was the Young Women's President and some changes to the various programmes were taking place that I was really excited for. Opportunities for the Young Women to grow and take control and be active in their faith rather than things being done for them.

Please tell me we finally got the whole daily Scripture Study thing down? Daily reading of the Book of Mormon? How about a weekly Family Home Evening? Tell me at least we are in the habit of daily prayers?!

You know what, I don't think a lot of that matters as long as we are still trying to be better tomorrow than we were today and, because I know I need reminders for stuff like this, have you reached out to someone on your ministering list today? I don't just mean the official one, but also the one you keep in your heart of those who you love!

How are the children?

Top Ender is 20 now right, wow a grown-up! At the minute she is preparing for her GCSE's, volunteers three times a week, makes baby hats for the baby unit, hates exercise, salad and loves to sing. She is pretty sure that she is never going to get married... Is she married? Has she graduated from University or is she about to? What did she end up studying? Was it Film Studies? Is she actually an author? Please tell me she has published something she's written, she's so talented! Most importantly is she happy? Is she loved?

Dan Jon is about to take his GCSE's and is nearly 16. 16?! Oh my gosh. I'm sure that he is still as lovely as he was back when he was 11. Hopefully, he is still as laid back and level headed as he always was and happy and loved too. I'm guessing that he isn't just playing computer games all-day still, maybe he is finally actually creating them or maybe he's so into one of his GCSE subjects that he has a new hobby?

So.

There were a few things that I know you wanted to have achieved, such as improving your health and having taken up horse riding. You wanted to change your role at the school and do some more courses. You've done those right? Well, maybe you could start now if you haven't?

Look whatever has happened, or hasn't happened, I'm proud of you, I love you and I know you will have had some fun!

Love to you

Pippa (3rd November 2019)