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Dear Future Me: The Letter to My Future Self

• Categories: Me Myself and I My Future

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Words: 423 |

Published: Jun 10, 2020

Words: 423 | Page: 1 | 3 min read

Works Cited:

• Barnes, B. (2013). Lone Survivor. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/23/movies/lone-survivor-a-navy-seal-mission-in-afghanistan.html
• Bazelon, E. (2014). Lone Survivor Review. Slate Magazine. https://slate.com/culture/2014/01/lone-survivor-review-mark-wahlbergs-film-about-marcus-luttrell-and-operation-red-wings.html
• Gardner, C. (2014). Lone Survivor. Film Journal International.
• Klady, L. (2014). Lone Survivor Review. Movie City News.
• Luttrell, M. (2007). Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10. Little, Brown and Company.
• Luttrell, M., & Robinson, P. (2013). Service: A Navy SEAL at War. Little, Brown and Company.
• Moss, M. (2013). Lone Survivor. Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-reviews/lone-survivor-123408/
• Powers, T. (2014). Lone Survivor. The Hollywood Reporter.
• Schaffner, N. (2014). Lone Survivor. Common Sense Media.
• Wahlberg, M. (2013). Lone Survivor [Motion picture]. United States: Universal Pictures.

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Where Do I See Myself in 10 Years: Envisioning a Decade Ahead

Table of contents, where i see myself in 10 years: a profound exploration, 10 years from now: nurturing personal and professional growth, how do i see myself 10 years from now: a commitment to values, embracing the journey of the next decade, turning dreams into reality: the road to my future, navigating the career landscape: a fulfilling professional journey, fostering personal growth: a holistic approach to well-being, a global citizen: making a positive impact on society, conclusion: a journey of transformation and purpose.

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Dear Future Me: The Letter to My Future Self

Dear Future Me, 

How are things? I hope you are still alive, reading this letter. How are your parents and brother? What is your take on the meaning of life? Did you ever figure out what you want to be in life? I know these are an ample number of questions. However, I am proud of you and hope you continue to be good towards others. 

My number one hope as of now is to improve my mental health. At times, I am not in the best state. It has become increasingly difficult for me to explain how I feel. When asked about my feelings, I always seem to put it off for another time. A goal and intention of mine is to become a pediatrician. I have a reasonable amount of patience with others, which would be valuable if I were to work with children. As for fears, the primary fear that holds me back in life is the fear of failure. Even though failure makes you better, it still affects me. Even with minor mistakes, I undermine myself and end up doubting my abilities. Reflecting on myself, I like how I have a tough exterior. I respect how I am not one to be broken down by the words of others, nor am I one to cry over small matters. However, what I dislike about myself is my body. I have trouble gaining weight and do not have the tall and fit body that other guys have, merely because of my genetics. That being said, I am proud of myself for numerous reasons. I am proud of how I have grown, how I treat other people, and how I handle myself in different situations. I am a quiet and reserved person, but with any conflicts I have in life, I continue to remind myself to be a good person no matter what. 

My home is a red-colored brick two-story home with four bedrooms, three and a half bathrooms, a two-car garage, and a medium-sized backyard. Some of the unique features in my house include a media room and a study room. My bedroom is relatively small, but not too small. The walls have a unique shape, making a right trapezoid shape. The walls are painted cream, with my bed just a little left from the center of the back wall. At the front of the room is a regular-sized window looking out into the neighbor’s backyard. To the very front left locates my desk with my computer, and to the very right stands my dresser. My school is not very far from my house, being four minutes away. It is a public high school with programs such as Collegiate and P-Tech. At home, my regular chores include taking out the trash and washing the dishes. On the weekends, I wipe and vacuum the house and organize laundry for the rest of my family too. Compared to my family, I am not as religious as them. The rest of my family is Buddhist, but I do not know where I stand with religion. I have not ever looked deep into religious beliefs, yet I hope I do in the future. 

Some of my hobbies consist of cooking, listening to music, and watching shows. My main pastime is just being on my phone and texting or calling others. I also like to spend time with my family if they have free time. At times when I am alone, I enjoy working out. I would much rather work out when I am alone since my parents would usually barge in and get me to do things for them. They would expect me to work out more often if they catch me, making it feel like more of a chore than a hobby. When I am with my friends, I frequently go out to different places like the mall or the movies. However, because of COVID, I have not been able to hang out with them much outside of school. Whenever I am at school, I like to catch up and joke around with them, hoping to build a better relationship with my friends. On the weekends, I typically spend time on myself. I end up staying up for a while and waking up late in the afternoon. I also catch up on any episodes I missed watching because of school. However, if there is any schoolwork I need to complete, I make sure to finish it before relaxing. 

There are many important people in my life. My family means the most to me out of anyone. My mother and father both raised me and made many sacrifices for me. For instance, my mother had dropped out of school to take care of me when other family members did not want to. I only have one sibling, my brother named “B.” We are not generally close, mainly due to his job and college. Still, I do try to make time to spend with him. My grandparents also mean much to me, especially my grandma on my father’s side. Many of my relatives try to degrade her for her past, no matter what measures she takes to better herself. She is a strong woman who still cares for others, even if she does not receive the same respect back. I do not have many close friends, but two people I hope to remain close with in the future are K. L. and R. S. I have known Kennedy since middle school, and she has always found a way to cheer me up. R. is like an older brother figure and has always been nothing but genuine to me. There is also one person who I would like to get to know better. Her name is L., and she seems cool enough. She is a good person from what I have heard, so I would appreciate the chance to get to know her if I could. 

I was born at Baylor Medical Center in Garland, Texas, on April 30, 2007. Before I was born, the doctors told my mother that she had uterine fibroids, which could lead to her never having another kid. The doctors told her to have another child quickly before it was too late. I have resided in Garland, Texas for all my life. In Garland, I had some of the best memories. One of the most prominent childhood accidents and memories was when I was six. I had hit my head into my mom’s car door by accident when running to the house. It was an amusing memory since I had ended up not crying once, even though my forehead was bleeding dangerously. Even so, these suitable memories in Garland had come with unpleasant memories as well. Growing up, I did not have the best experience in school. I was continuously bullied in school due to my race. I was one of only three Asian students in my elementary school and that led to the troubles I endured. I had gotten hit, played around with, mocked, and called names by other students. Bullying has become a crucial part of my life. It sounds terrible, but bullying has also been a good thing. These experiences have given me another reason to move forward in life. There will be people who try to tear you down, and letting them get to you is just benefiting them. These issues that I have encountered have influenced me to become a better and stronger person, and I hope you, future M., continue to grow in the future. 

I predict that in high school, I will maintain high grades. I also see that I will be on a sports team of any sort. I envision I would get a certification through the GRCTC pharmacy technician program, allowing me to obtain a higher-paying job after graduation. Non-school-related, I would like to see myself completing driving school and receiving my driver’s license. After high school, I would like to continue my college years and pursue a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. After getting a bachelor’s degree, I would graduate from medical school and finish a residency program to become a pediatrician. If possible, in-between or after my college years, I want to be on a reality competition television show of some sort. A show like Big Brother or Survivor would be an enjoyable opportunity to compete with others to win money, allowing me to pay for any tuition fees if I were to win. With all this said, my long-range intention in life is to live a successful life and be a role model for others. I wish to get married, start a family, and help them live better lives. 

Again, I am proud of you, future M. No matter what circumstances you are in, you are always on top of things. You continue to be a good person, not only to yourself but to others. Please stay well, and I wish you the best in all your future endeavors. 

Sincerely, 

Past M. 

PS: “Go tell your favorite high school teacher goodbye and especially go tell Mr. N. thank you for making you write this letter.”

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Writing a Letter to Your Future Self: Benefits, Guide, and Template

Writing a letter to our future selves is a simple yet profound practice that has the power to transform our lives.

 This act of self-expression serves as a conduit to our innermost thoughts, allowing us to capture our hopes, fears, and desires in a tangible form. By embarking on this journey of self-reflection, we open ourselves up to the possibility of profound personal growth and positive change. In this article, we delve into the remarkable impact of writing a letter to your future self and explore how this practice can shape the trajectory of your life.

3 Reasons to Write a Letter to Your Future Self: Benefits

1. reflection and self-awareness.

Writing a letter to your future self provides a unique opportunity for reflection and self-awareness. By capturing your current thoughts, emotions, and experiences, you gain insight into who you are at this moment in time. This act of self-reflection allows you to understand your desires, fears, and motivations, enabling you to navigate your life with greater clarity and purpose.

2. Goal Setting and Intentions

One of the remarkable benefits of writing a letter to your future self is the ability to set clear goals and intentions. As you pen your thoughts, dreams, and aspirations, you articulate your vision for the future. This goal-setting process helps you identify what truly matters to you and creates a roadmap for achieving your desired outcomes. The act of writing down your goals significantly increases your commitment to them, making you more likely to take the necessary steps to turn them into reality.

3. Personal Growth and Transformation

Revisiting the letter to your future self allows you to witness your personal growth and transformation over time. Months or even years later, as you open the letter, you gain a fresh perspective on your past self. You can celebrate the progress you've made, acknowledge the challenges you've overcome, and recognize the person you've become. This powerful reminder of your resilience and personal evolution serves as motivation to continue growing and striving toward your dreams.

How to Write a Letter to Your Future Self

Choose a meaningful timeframe.

Select a timeframe for your letter that aligns with your goals. You may opt for a year, five years, or even a decade into the future. Consider both long-term and short-term perspectives to capture different aspects of your life journey.

Find a Quiet and Inspiring Environment

Create a calm and distraction-free space for writing your letter. Find a place that inspires you and allows your thoughts to flow freely. Consider incorporating elements such as soothing music, scented candles, or natural surroundings to enhance your creativity and introspection.

Reflect on Your Current State

Take the time to reflect on your current thoughts, feelings, and experiences. Explore your strengths, weaknesses, and areas for growth. Use this opportunity to gain clarity about what you want to achieve and the person you want to become.

Set Clear Goals and Intentions

Define specific goals and aspirations in your letter. Be clear about what you want to accomplish and the steps you plan to take to achieve them. Write down your intentions with conviction, and visualize the future you desire.

Express Your Emotions and Dreams

Let your emotions flow onto the paper. Be authentic and vulnerable as you share your hopes, fears, and dreams. Use this letter as a safe space to express yourself fully and honestly.

In the TED video below, Meg Jay shares the essential questions to ask your future self thus enabling your present and future to align so you can start achieving your goals.

Use the ‘GROW’ Template for Writing To Your Future Self

G - Gratitude and Reflection

R - Realizations and Lessons Learned

O - Outlook and Aspirations

W - Wishes and Dreams

Now let's break down each step of the acronym:

G - Gratitude and Reflection:

Express gratitude for the experiences, people, and opportunities that have shaped your life. Reflect on the positive aspects and milestones you have achieved. Acknowledge the blessings and lessons you have received along the way.

R - Realizations and Lessons Learned:

Share the realizations you have had about yourself, others, and the world around you. Reflect on the lessons you have learned from various experiences and challenges. Discuss how these insights have impacted your growth and understanding.

O - Outlook and Aspirations:

Describe your current outlook on life and the future. Share your aspirations and goals for personal and professional development. Discuss the vision you have for yourself and the steps you plan to take to achieve it.

W - Wishes and Dreams:

Articulate your wishes and dreams for the future. Share the things you hope to experience, the places you want to visit, or the achievements you aspire to. Express your deepest desires and the possibilities you envision for yourself.

By following the "GROW" acronym, you can structure your letter to your future self, covering gratitude and reflection, realizations and lessons learned, outlook and aspirations, as well as wishes and dreams. This framework allows you to reflect on your journey, express your aspirations, and inspire your future self.

Revisiting Your Letter

Timing and frequency.

Decide when and how often you will open the letter to your future self. Give yourself enough time to grow and experience life before revisiting it. Some choose to open it on a specific date or milestone, while others prefer to keep it sealed for several years.

Reflection and Assessment

As you read your letter, reflect on the goals and intentions you set. Assess your progress, achievements, and the lessons you have learned along the way. Celebrate your successes and use any setbacks as opportunities for growth and course correction.

Adjusting and Realigning

Based on your newfound insights, make adjustments and realign your path as needed. Goals may change, and priorities may shift over time. Use the letter as a guide to navigate your journey and stay connected to your authentic self.

Writing a letter to your future self is a powerful practice that invites self-reflection, goal-setting, and personal growth. It allows you to capture the essence of who you are today and provides a glimpse into the person you aspire to become. Embrace this transformative journey of self-discovery, and let the act of writing guide you toward a future filled with purpose, fulfillment, and growth. So take some time to sit down and put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, and send a message to the person you hope to become.

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A Letter to My Future Self

With the knowledge of our present-day selves, we put forth advice for the years to come. Want to add your letter to our collection? Add it in the comments!

We often think of advice as passing on wisdom from elder to youth, teacher to student, parent to child. The veteran guides the novice, the process didactic in nature.

But what if the coin flips, and we, as our present-day selves, offer advice to an older, more worn version of ourselves? Think of it as an exercise in self-love , a means of preserving and protecting what’s important today well into the future.

We asked members of the Wanderlust family to pen letters to their future selves. Here’s what they had to say.

Dear Future Self, 

Whatever you’re doing right now, stop. Go outside. Call your parents (if you’re lucky enough that they’re both still here). Take a moment and go have yourself a proper personal day. And don’t—don’t you dare—feel guilty for taking the time for yourself.

This year has been a crazy one. You learned what love really means, the lengths to which friendship can be tested (and lost), and became a yoga teacher . You’ve lived in New York for 14 years, and you’re ready to go to the mountains. Did you? Do you have a garden and goats and a fireplace? You’ve started thinking about having children, though you’re not sure whether or not children or heading out on another epic backpacking trip is the way to go. Know that whatever decision you made, it was the right one. You’re here now, and you’re exactly where you need to be. 

A couple things to remember: You learned how to honor and treat your body well this year, and how to honor and treat those around you. Don’t ever settle for the easy way—just don’t settle, period. Life is too short. And remember that this current version of yourself loves you… And that’s not going to change.

Dear Future Self,

Remember your wedding day (of course you do!)? It is exactly ten days from today. Ten days before you marry the love of your life, a man who not only puts up with your quirks (like your neurotic, gluten-free, obsessively healthy diet), but has taught you how to laugh at them and love them, removing insecurity. You had a lot on your plate this year, and despite a few major meltdowns and wedding dress nightmares, you survived. You’re going home to see your family, and 150 of your closest friends; this is pretty much the most fun ever and I hope you look back on this time with love.

Tell your children you love them, a lot, I’m sure they are incredible humans and deserve to hear it. Also, let them eat a cookie once in a while. Hang out with your mom as much as possible, words cannot describe what she has done for you over the years.

You probably work really hard, so this is an order: take a vacation with your husband, this month. Book it today, but don’t think too much about it, wherever you go will be perfect, as everything is right now, and always.

I love you. 

Take a breath. Look down at your two feet. Where are they right now? Look around you. Do you see nature? Go touch the leaves. Pick a flower and deeply inhale its beautiful fragrance. Do you hear birds? Stop and take a moment to go listen to their music, because not everyone is so fortunate enough to be able to hear and enjoy that experience. Do you feel the sunshine on your skin? If not, go step outside and be grateful for the fact that it is constantly shining down on you, and that you are alive. Go take a bite of something delicious and savor every moment with absolutely no concern around any kind of weight gain. Not everyone is so privileged to have access to food, so superficial aesthetics should be the least of your worries regardless of the deep societal impositions. How have you been of service to others today?

You spent your whole childhood yearning to be an adult, impatiently waiting for the rite of passage that would grant you the maturity, respect, and validation you so desperately sought. Now that you’re an adult, all you crave is the sweetly uninhibited moments of play and lack of responsibility that childhood granted you. Life isn’t a sprint, it’s a long race and you’re not in it just to “win.” Be gentle with yourself. Be messy sometimes. Let it all go. Embrace all of your learnings and cherish your experiences because they truly are divinely fated.  

ENJOY IT. ALL OF IT. You will have enough time to do everything that you love, so stop stressing so much. You miss the beauty when you are stressed. Be here now. Hug those around you. Ask them how they are doing, and truly listen (without plotting your response at the same time). The inexplicable sensation of true connection and understanding is the best feeling in the entire world. Money is just a number. It comes and it goes. Love is the true currency.  

No one lives forever so be sure to cherish every moment, and when they pass and when you pass, find comfort in knowing that we are simply souls within these bodies, and we will all be connected at some point again. Life is a gift, not something that is a given, so enjoy every second while you’re here.

Hey, Future Self,

What’s up! Life has been interesting, crazy, fun, boring, unexpected, expected—a lesson in opposition.

Despite all the constant frustration, you’ve managed to wear glitter every damn day, and hey, that’s kinda a victory, right? Your clothes are on point—a ton of of shiny stuff, colors, and general epic yoga outfits fit in your closet.

You’ve got the most epic dog, sweet friends, and an above average family (well, let’s not include your extended family).

You get to spend time outside in one of the most beautiful places on earth and you’re in the best shape of your life thus far, so that’s great.

As you continue to age, you’ll continue to get more awesome. Remember, the goal is to peak at 90 (or later). You’ve got a lot of time.

Despite the frustration, you’re on your way to making all your dreams come true (probably).

Now go on an epic vacation and buy a new outfit with your sweet bank account that you hopefully acquired by now. You’ve earned it.

Keep killing it.

Everything that has happened has lead you to this moment. Don’t change a thing. Everything worked out exactly as it should be. All the puzzle pieces fit, all the paths make sense. All the people were meant to be. All the successes and failures and heartwarming and heartbreaking moments were all worth it. No regrets. You were and are and have been and always will be yourself, and that’s what matters above all.

I’m assuming you’re reading this on some sort of graphene screen strapped around your wrist or glued to your face. Cool! Fancy! High-tech!

Right now your life is one giant crossroads. It’s exciting. It’s frustrating. It’s temporary. I hope you have a few more things figured out by now. But I also hope you still have some questions. Keep asking them.   

I’m sure you’ve got a lot going on right now, and that’s good. Just don’t lose track of what’s important, what’s worth making time for. Spend time with people you love. That’s first and foremost, always. Pick up the phone. Make some plans. Get outside, even when the couch is calling. Camp in the woods. Build a fire. Have some wine. Stay up late. Climb a mountain. Go for a sail. Trust that things will work out, or change them if you don’t like the charted course. Eat good food cooked from scratch. See live music. Travel abroad with someone you care about. Immerse yourself in a good book. Do you have kids? Raise them right. Spend time with them. Teach them how to shake someone’s hand properly. Write down your thoughts. Tell your stories. Tell others’ stories. Listen. Set goals, both lofty and reasonable. Move your body. Give back.

And never forget to be grateful. You should be oh, so very grateful.

Keep going.

Hey girl, slow down for a second—I have some things I want to share.

Some stuff is going to happen to you. You won’t be able to plan for it, pencil it in your schedule for when is good for you, or always have someone pick up the phone to guide you through it. You’re going to have to just roll with the flow , take it in, glean lessons from it, and then carry on, head held high. Maybe journal on it—sometimes insights don’t come quick, but there’s something positive to be found from most experiences in life. Focus on that.

You’re going to have a lot of mantras throughout your life that are going to help you. No, just because one strikes you when you’re practicing a hip-opener doesn’t mean you should get a tattoo of it on your forearm. You’d be covered by now. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but mantras—like people—will come and go in your life. And as much as you’d like to you can’t hold on to them all. You best realize this now and just try and enjoy what you have in the present moment. Just because it passes doesn’t mean it wasn’t powerful or important. And you’re not silly for believing in it. Please never stop holding on to hope. It will cause you pain, but it will also help you get through the days, excite you, and make you feel like your heart is a big thing of cotton candy. Are you still eating cotton candy? Good. Go high-five that inner child we sometimes think is so silly. She reminds you of your mother. Go buy yourself one of those Spongebob Squarepants popsicles you get so excited about and give her a call. She misses you too. Your to-do list can wait.

You got this. 

What advice would you give your future self?

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Comment on this text

A Letter to My Future Self

November 05, 2020

By Samantha Ferrer

This post is a letter to my future self, and to those who also feel lost, confused, and sad. I wonder about: Who will I turn out to be in the future? Will I be a good or bad person, will I gain or lose someone or something?

Will I lose myself? I'm not sure about any of these questions, but I hope that when I look back on this letter, I can make my future self proud of the person I turned out to be.

Dear Future Self,

I hope when you read this, you are okay. You are not sad, or anxious, or scared. I hope you accomplished everything you wanted to accomplish. I can only hope, for I don't know what the future holds.

Image Credit: mododeolhar, Pexels

I hope your friends are doing well, I hope you still have the same friends you have had. I hope you still remember it's the quality of friends, and not the quantity. If you still have at least one of the same friends, I want you to contact them right now and tell how much you appreciate them for staying in your life this long.

I'm surprised to see who stayed and who left, what changed in the friendship. I hope you made good memories over the years with the friends you have now. I really want you to appreciate what little moments we have with friends, before they're gone.

I want you to remember who they were, before life changed them. I hope you laughed, as well as cried with them. Those are the friendships that stay together.

Close friends you share a bond with, who care about you, who accept you for you, those are the ones worth fighting for. Don't let them go. For the friends that left, I hope you're still on good terms with them.

Don't burn your bridges, they have influenced you and kind of took a part in who you are today. Thank them for being your friend, for staying in the toughest of times, for being a part of your life, for helping you grow and mature.

Image Credit: Tyler Nix, Unsplash

I hope you are still close with your family. No matter what they say or do, they are still your family. Don't let an argument or a fight stand in the way of talking to them.

I hope mom and dad are okay and are doing well physically, emotionally, and mentally. I hope you are close with your sister, because she is the only sibling you have. Although you two may sometimes fight, you have to love her.

There is no one out there like her. You may have friends that you are close with, and they may act as your “siblings”, but she is the only one that is truly blood related and you can't change that no matter how bothersome she may get. I really do hope she is doing well, I hope you two are close and have a strong bond with each other.

Image Credit: Vån Thång, Pexels

I hope you found someone, someone who you trust, someone who will always be there for you. I hope he is your best friend, I hope he takes care of you, and protects you. Take care of him, love him, love him for all that he is.

Tell him how much you appreciate him for staying in your life. Show him that you care. Be with him through all the ups and downs that life throws at you guys. Relationships only stay strong because of trust, loyalty, and the strength to hold on even when it seems hard to.

I hope you got hurt looking for someone. I hope he broke your heart. Why do I wish this for you?

Because although broken hearts cannot be entirely fixed, they can heal over time. Broken hearts show you that sometimes what seems to be perfect, isn't always right or meant to last. You will only grow and mature into a stronger person with a heart that is impenetrable.

You will learn how to open your heart, and let others in; feel vulnerable. Find someone that makes life a little easier, makes you laugh a little harder, and smile a little longer.

Image Credit: Holly Mandarich, Unsplash

I hope that you get out of your comfort zone. Try something new, learn, try, fail, do it all. Take the chance, take the risk.

Doing something new and different could be exciting, you'll never know unless you try. Please try. Be more outgoing, be different.

You might end up liking something you'd never thought of liking. I want you to be proud of the chances and risks you took, because it made you a better, stronger person. You'll never grow unless you try new things and step out of your comfort zone.

I hope you don't become the same person that you are now, because that means you never experienced new things or stepped out of your comfort zone. I want to have hope for the choices and decisions you choose to make in the future. Trust and believe that it will work out in the end.

I hope life has changed you for the better because of it. I don't want you to look back on life and regret not taking that opportunity or seizing that moment. Please don't live life with regrets of anything.

Do it all if possible. Travel, love, cry, experience life's beautiful moments. Even if you fail, every choice you make will shape you into a different person. I can only hope.

Image Credit: Joel Mott, Unsplash

I hope you are happy, truly, genuinely happy. Happy with your life, your friends, family, happy with yourself. I hope you are successful with your career, life, social life, as well as accomplishments and goals.

I hope you take risks and still end up happy, no matter what happened in the end. I hope you lost as well as found something. I hope you become happy with your choices, your goals, as well as your failures.

Be happy in life. Do what makes you happy, not what others want for you. Express and impress yourself, not others.

It's your life, you choose whether you want to be positive in life. Choose to be happy, life is better when you are happy. Life is too short for what ifs or possibilities.

Take the risk, take the opportunity. Meet new people, effect others, start a chain reaction, make a difference in the world. Change your attitude, impact others with your actions and words.

You are valued, you are important. Make the choice to be happy.

Me, Your Past Self

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Samantha Ferrer is a 21-year-old in California and is currently in her fourth year of college. She enjoys reading, writing, spending time with close friends, and binge-watching her favorite shows and movies. Samantha also enjoys watching Rom-Coms and John Hughes movies. In her free time, you can find Samantha thrift shopping, and enjoying/looking at nature.

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• Grades 6-12
• School Leaders

Enter Today's Teacher Appreciation Giveaway!

Why I Have Students Write Letters to Their Future Selves

A writing assignment they’ll remember.

Community building is essential to any classroom’s success. And, if you’re going to accomplish anything in an upper grade classroom, you really have to work on student engagement, especially now. This means that teachers have to dig into two toolboxes at all times: the “build community while being self-reflective” activities and the one labeled “OMG can y’all believe how exciting this activity is?!”

Over the years, I’ve assigned writing assignments to help build community. They’ve changed to avoid duplication of other classes and prompts, and this year,  I decided to have students write a letter to their future self. That’s when I found FutureMe in the classroom , which fit in both of those toolboxes above!

The idea is simple: you create a single page for students to type a letter to their future self, which the site then delivers electronically on the future date that you or the students set. Students only have to work in one text field, enter their email address, choose a delivery date, and send. It’s that easy.

Save time on your lesson planning

My reality as an educator, like many of yours, is difficult to describe right now. My planning time is booked from now till February, by which time I should be caught up on September’s grading! That was a solid plus for FutureMe. Once I started thinking about my prompt and how I wanted the students to interact with the site, it only took about 15 minutes to get everything ready.

Customize as little or as much as you’d like

The live preview captures what you see as you edit.

The site is intuitive. As you customize the page that students will see, your updates appear live in a frame on the same tab. This is especially helpful if you want to modify the colors, which I did to match our school’s colors. It’s also easy to adjust the colors of the text and the “send” button. When you’re done, or if you just want to see the student page, just hit the Preview link.

I set our work to private—only the students will see their emails (a few students sent them to their parents’ email addresses, too). This is a personal choice and it works for our classroom community, but you can adjust those settings with a click. You’re also able to choose between having the students choose their own date or setting it for them. For this assignment, I let the kids choose their date. I plan on going back to the site in a few weeks for a more formal assignment. For that, I’ll set the date for them. You can also choose to make letters available publicly by selecting which ones might be appropriate and interesting to share.

Discover effortless student engagement

I made a QR code for the link for the students to scan using their devices, and the site loaded right up. Once the students were on the site, they knew exactly what to do. They played around with changing the delivery date and talked with each other about the choice they made. Questions included, “can I curse?” “can I send this to my mom, too?” and “can we do this next week, too?”

An important aspect of any Letter to My Future Self assignment is this magical idea that we have acted outside of time—that a future version of ourselves can interact with a past version of ourselves, connecting old to young, present to past, and spurring nostalgic feelings. When the kids finished, they pressed “Send to the Future,” and it was gone, like magic.

Think beyond the classroom prompt

It’s great to have paper handy for those first drafts

Another plus for FutureMe, for sure—there was no teacher stuffing a letter into a yellow envelope with a promise to send on to a high school teacher or sealed and stamped envelopes stashed in a drawer to wait for a future postal worker. FutureMe maximizes student agency for a common activity, turning it from an old, wooden desk and paper envelope kind of thing into the familiar space of tech and social media actions. If you choose to make some of the letters public, you can expand the reach of the assignment even further.

Consider a variety of prompts to get students started. In each one, encourage students to think of themselves not just as students, but as human beings: sisters, brothers, friends, sons or daughters, creatives, athletes, leaders, etc.

• What is one thing you’d like to accomplish this year?
• Describe how you feel right now and what you enjoy doing.
• Where do you see yourself as a student in X length of time?
• What are you most proud of in your life so far? What do you want to be proud of in one year?
• Describe something you are struggling with right now, and describe what it might look like to have overcome it.
• Write a letter to give your future self some encouragement and love!
• How have you changed over the past few years, and how do you hope to change over the next few?

In future assignments, I will change the setting so I can read and grade or give feedback on them. The flexibility is important to me, and FutureMe provides exactly the kinds of focused choices that have a meaningful impact on the student’s experience. My students are looking forward to the next assignment, and so am I!

Learn more about FutureMe

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Future Plans Essay

500+ words future plans essay.

Everyone has dreams and plans for the future. In our childhood, we dream of becoming a doctor, an engineer, an astronaut, etc. It’s we who really know best what we like. We know what we want in our life. Future plans can be different for different students. Below is just a sample essay that students can use for reference. This future plan essay will help students to write an effective essay on their future plans. They can also get the list of CBSE Essays on different topics for their practice. It will boost their score in English exams and also help them to participate in various essay writing competitions.

My Future Plan

I often wonder about my future as I am about to finish my schooling. There are a number of questions in my mind, and the one which mostly revolves around my mind is which profession I should choose. It is difficult for me to make a choice because I am aware that the decision will impact my entire life. I always dream of a profession that I can enjoy, that brings a challenge to me and satisfies me. I believe in a job that is like a hobby for me. I just don’t want to do the job to make money. Instead, I want to love my profession and duty. Also, my job should be such that I contribute to society and help people.

From my childhood, I always wanted to treat people and cure their diseases. So, to fulfil this dream of becoming a doctor, I have some future plans. Firstly, I have to complete my secondary schooling. Then, I have to complete my higher secondary education, and thereafter, I would like to study in a prestigious medical college and later become a doctor.

Studying medical science takes a long time. It is a difficult course and requires a tremendous amount of hard work and patience. I hope that I will be able to meet all the challenges and complete my studies well. After the completion of my studies, I would like to work in a hospital, so I can make my dream come true.

During my studies, I will have to work on different biology projects. The experience of working on these projects will give me insight into science and help me in becoming a good doctor. In addition, I also have to develop patience and diligence. During the summer vacations, I will have to work under a good doctor as an assistant nurse. It will help me to get real-life experience of how doctors work. Moreover, the learning will help me to deal with patients, nurses, doctors and staff of the hospital. It will be the best kickstart for my career as a future medical student.

As for now, I am focusing on my studies and looking forward to completing my schooling. I do have a future plan for my family. But, before that, I would like to travel the world. I want to visit different countries like America, Finland and London and travel to all the continents. After finishing my education and going on a world trip, I would like to settle down in my life. So, I will get married and would love to have a small family. I would like to have a small home in a natural and calm place where I can live and enjoy myself with my family.

Students must have found “Future Plans Essay” useful for improving their essay writing skills. Visit BYJU’S website to get the latest updates and study material on CBSE/ICSE/State Board/Competitive Exams at BYJU’S.

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Time Travelled — 12 months

Feb 05, 2009 Feb 05, 2010

Peaceful right?

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Essay on My Future Plan

Students are often asked to write an essay on My Future Plan in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on My Future Plan

My dream job.

I want to be a teacher. I love sharing knowledge and helping others learn new things. Teaching young minds sounds exciting and rewarding. I plan to study hard to understand the subjects I wish to teach.

Education Goals

To become a teacher, I need to finish school with good grades. Then, I’ll go to college to study education. I’ll also read lots of books to gain more knowledge.

Helping My Community

As a teacher, I will not only teach in a classroom but also help my community. I want to start free classes for kids who can’t afford school.

Staying Healthy

I understand that to do all this, I must stay healthy. So, I will eat well, play sports, and get enough sleep. This will keep my mind sharp for my future plans.

250 Words Essay on My Future Plan

When I think about my future, the first thing that comes to mind is my dream job. I want to become a teacher. Teachers help students learn new things and make them smart. I love the idea of going to school every day to teach kids how to read, write, and understand math. It makes me happy to think about helping them grow up to be smart and kind people.

To be a good teacher, I need to study a lot. My plan is to finish high school with good grades and then go to college. In college, I will learn how to teach and understand different subjects. I will also learn how to make classes fun so that students will love coming to school.

I also want to help my community. As a teacher, I can start clubs for students after school. These clubs can be about sports, music, or even helping animals. I think this is a great way to make my town a better place.

Staying Healthy and Happy

My future plan also includes staying healthy. I want to eat good food, play sports, and get enough sleep. A healthy body means I can be a happy and energetic teacher.

In the end, my future plan is all about becoming a teacher, learning a lot, helping my community, and staying healthy. I am excited to work hard and make my dreams come true.

500 Words Essay on My Future Plan

Introduction to my future plan.

Thinking about the future can be exciting and a little bit scary. But making plans for what I want to do helps me feel ready for what’s coming. My future plan is like a map that guides me to reach my dreams. I want to share my plan with you, so you can see how I’m preparing for the years ahead.

First, I want to focus on my studies. School is very important because it teaches me all sorts of things that I need to know for my future. I plan to work hard in all my subjects, especially in math and science, because I dream of becoming an engineer. After finishing high school, my goal is to go to a good university where I can learn more about engineering and how to solve problems.

My Dream Career

As I mentioned, I dream of becoming an engineer. I love building things and figuring out how stuff works. As an engineer, I will be able to create new things that can help people in their everyday lives. I also want to make sure that the things I build are safe for the environment. To reach this dream, I need to learn a lot and get experience by maybe working on small projects with friends or family.

Staying Healthy and Active

I know that to do well in school and work, I need to be healthy. So, part of my future plan is to stay active by playing sports and eating healthy foods. I enjoy playing soccer, and it’s a great way for me to exercise and have fun with my friends. Keeping my body and mind healthy will help me focus on my goals.

Learning New Skills

Besides school and sports, I want to learn new skills that can be useful in life. I plan to learn how to cook, so I can make delicious and healthy meals for myself and my family. I also want to learn how to manage money wisely. Knowing about money will help me save for important things like college and maybe even my own house one day.

Helping Others

I believe it’s important to help people and make a difference in the community. In the future, I want to volunteer and help others who might need it. Whether it’s teaching younger kids to read or helping clean up a park, I want to do my part to make the world a better place.

My future plan is all about reaching my dreams while staying healthy and helping others. I know that if I work hard and stay focused on my goals, I can make all these things happen. It’s like a journey that I’m getting ready for, and I’m excited to see where it will take me. By sharing my plan, I hope to inspire others to think about their future and make plans that will lead them to success and happiness.

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

• Essay on My Future Goals In Life
• Essay on My Favourite Weather
• Essay on My Favourite Subject History

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

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What Really Motivates You at Work?

• Carrie Ott-Holland

To get the recognition that matters most to you, start by identifying exactly what that looks like.

When we work hard, we generally expect our efforts to be recognized by our employer. And most employers will do just that — showering someone with praise at a company meeting, taking a team to a nice dinner, or quietly delivering a cash bonus. But sometimes an employer’s broader recognition strategy does not align with what its individual workers want and need. Some workers may be incentivized by more paid time off, while others may appreciate a gift card to a local shop. And some workers may be motivated by monetary rewards, while others hope to be assigned the role of team lead on the next high-stakes project. In this article, the author offers five practical techniques you can start using today to increase the likelihood of getting the rewards and recognition you value most.

Most of us want to feel rewarded and recognized for a job well done. And most employers want to incentivize their workers to perform well and stay engaged. While these two things should align, employers unfortunately don’t always get it right. A team dinner can be a fun culmination of a group project, or it can feel like a frustrating stand-in if you were hoping for a monetary reward. On the flip side, a cash bonus quietly appearing in your inbox may feel strange if you expected public recognition for a heroic work accomplishment. Yet some people would rather call in sick than stand in front of their colleagues to receive an award.

• Carrie Ott-Holland works as principal people analyst at Klaviyo. She has worked in people analytics and talent management in the tech industry for the past decade and is an organizational psychologist by training.

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My son is profoundly autistic. Please don’t say he’s merely ‘neurodiverse.’

Advocates are fighting to eliminate terminology that accurately describes my son and thousands of people like him — who can’t speak up for themselves..

I t was pure coincidence that I happened upon the bloody site. Hoping to surprise my son, I drove to his favorite walking trail, along a lakefront, where I caught sight of police officers in a tense confrontation. Three officers stood side by side in an impenetrable wall while instructing someone splayed out and writhing on the ground. I hope Zack doesn’t get distracted by this scene , I thought.

As I neared the trail, I saw Zack’s aide, slouched inside her car, fully absorbed in texting. She was supposed to remain beside him at all times, but he was not with her. I called out to her, “Where’s Zack?” as my throat tightened with the realization he was nowhere in sight. I began sprinting toward the police officers — only to discover with mounting horror that Zack was the scene they were dealing with.

He was ravaging his forearms with deep, mutilating bites, thrashing angrily on the ground, and then rising to charge at the officers, who patiently but sternly reminded him to “stay seated” and repeated “Don’t panic, you’re not in trouble.” Breaking into the scene, I began a frantic avalanche of contrition. “I’m so sorry, I don’t know what triggered this —” But I was abruptly cut off by an officer who stated calmly, “Yes, we understand who he is and that he’s petrified.”

Somewhere during his sojourn along the lake, Zack, who was 20 years old at the time, had abruptly sat down too close to a woman seated on a bench, who gingerly told him to put on a COVID mask — and Zack bit her on the shoulder for what he perceived as a reprimand. The woman immediately summoned the police, not in anger but in compassion, realizing this young man was seriously disabled and apparently unattended.

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“He’s not in trouble, the woman’s not pressing charges,” the officer assured me. “We’ve been trying to get him to recount a phone number of someone we could contact —” He halted, spying a robust purple bruise on my calf and deep bite marks encrusted with dried blood along my arms. His tone turned solemn. “I can only imagine what you’ve been through. I do understand.”

I stood in stunned silence. I was not prepared for them to be prepared. It had been 45 minutes since they first gathered around Zack with no identifying information, 45 minutes during which his very safety hinged not only on the instincts of a benevolent stranger whom he assaulted but on a shared understanding by all involved of his clinical identity — that Zack is profoundly autistic.

What’s remarkable about Zack’s behavior is how unremarkable it is. Autism has been on an inexplicable rise with no signs of a plateau. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 1 in every 36 children born today has autism, and 1 in every 4 of those will have “profound autism,” a clinical distinction for those with much higher needs than the more verbally and intellectually able people who also have an autism diagnosis. Individuals like Zack with profound autism have minimal or no expressive language and require round-the-clock care to assist with daily living activities and safeguard them from extreme behaviors such as self-injury, the destruction of property, and “elopement” — the term for running or wandering away from caregivers or secure locations.

But while parents like me struggle to manage our children’s dangerous impulses, a powerful cultural movement has taken hold that forbids open discussion of profound autism and its manifestations. Advocates for “neurodiversity” are seeking to eliminate the term “profound autism” — on the grounds, they say, that it makes it seem as if autism is always an affliction. And now they are bullying doctors, researchers, lawmakers, and the rest of society into ignoring truths about Zack’s disorder that define his life.

Sanitizing Zack’s diagnosis and intense needs is dangerous. That day out on the lakefront trail, my son’s safety turned on the officers’ ability to decode from his conspicuous behaviors that he has profound autism in particular. They told me they realized that Zack’s refusal to identify himself to them despite repeated requests stemmed from an inability to articulate salient information in a moment of acute stress. They employed a measured response to his rage by speaking in succinct, assertive phrases, repeating reassurances, and maintaining a physical distance. If they hadn’t had such precise training , which depends on recognizing precise clinical criteria rather than employing general descriptors such as “neurodiverse,” the scenario could have gone very differently — with his arrest, forcible restraint, and even suffocation and death.

The intimidation campaign

I embrace many of neurodiversity’s fundamental tenets, especially the idea that people with intellectual disabilities should be broadly accepted and included in society.

I’ve staked my career on this principle — I used to work in the US Department of Justice as a disability rights attorney. I witnessed firsthand the exclusion of people with physical and cognitive disabilities from the rituals of daily life most other people take for granted. And I believe parents and professionals must aspire to discern a child’s authentic needs rather than superimpose our own preferences on them or force them into compliant molds of “normal.” Our children do not need to be “typical” to thrive in a society designed for its vast majority, nor is that an attainable goal.

But the concept of neurodiversity is going into dangerous territory if diagnostic distinctions across the spectrum are now considered archaic and bigoted.

In 2021, the medical journal The Lancet published a report from a commission of worldwide medical experts who recognized the need for “profound autism” as a discrete diagnostic category. The backlash was swift and mighty.

Autistic self-advocates launched a virulent campaign to quash the term, arguing that it had arisen, in the words of self-advocate Julia Bascom , “because some parents . . . see their kids as needing different kinds of support and different levels of restriction. But they are wrong on all counts.” The Global Autistic Task Force on Autism Research, an advocacy group, responded to The Lancet commission by saying : “For more than 30 years, autistic people have resisted functioning labels as misleading and offensive.”

As neurodiversity advocates denounce any framing of autism as a disability that requires medical intervention, they demand more support systems for people with autism, such as independent living “that honors authentic forms of human diversity.” Groups like the Autistic Self-Advocacy Network, people who identify on social media as #ActuallyAutistic, and parent activists insist that there is no such thing as a “normal” brain, only relative differences that render all humans “differently abled.”

To them, frank discussions about profound autism give a distorted image of people like Zack as unpredictable, cognitively limited, and presenting more behavioral challenges than the general population. Except the image is not distorted. While it’s painful to accept, these descriptors are accurate. Over the course of a single day, Zack, who is now 23, might furiously pummel his head in rage, slam his body into a wall, and bite me hard enough to draw blood.

The neurodiversity advocates — whose members are distinguished precisely by their ability to advocate for themselves, as Zack cannot — are not illuminating the complexity of autism; they are castigating into submission anyone who dares to deviate from their accepted language.

Intolerance for the term “profound autism” is leaching into medical journals and doctors’ practices. Doctors who’ve devoted their careers to treating children who compulsively ravage their flesh and slam their skulls into the ground are now verbally castrated on social media and “canceled” from lectures so regularly that preserving their livelihood requires stifling crucial medical data . It’s become common for autism self-advocates to “shout down” researchers imparting medical data at conferences or to call the researchers out on social media for online hazing and threats by neurodiverse mobs.

Today, both experienced and newer autism researchers contemplate leaving the field because, as one University of California scientist, David Amaral , observed, “People are getting reluctant to give public presentations or to be too vocal about what they’re finding,” despite the fact that “science is supposed to be about communication.” Top research institutions like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), tasked with conducting clinical trials to illuminate the disorder, face vitriolic accusations of being “ableist” and uncomprehending of the very people they are trying to help.

After the The Lancet’s commission recognized “profound autism” in 2021, the journal published an article by a doctor who wrote: “Generally, physicians think that disability is medical, and that if a patient’s condition interferes with their daily life, they are disabled. This traditional, medical model of disability does not address societal factors that influence disability, nor does it recognize disability as a cultural identity. Viewing disability as an issue stemming from an impaired body can encourage physicians to view disabled patients’ quality of life negatively . . . and to offer treatments aiming to fix the patient.”

This is absurd. I know of no person with profound autism who proudly identifies self-mutilating or violent impulses as core to their “cultural” identity. There is nothing bigoted about striving to ameliorate dangerous behaviors.

More critically, it is not the role of medical researchers to kowtow to trending cultural demands at the expense of addressing medically life-threatening conditions. Erasing diagnostic distinctions will make it impossible to perform research into the behaviors that are associated with profound autism — research that could lead to drugs that could benefit people across the entire autism spectrum. Although about 27 percent of all people with autism have profound autism, the condition is already underrepresented in clinical trials, which typically exclude those with an IQ lower than 70.

Two years ago, my son was abruptly ensnared in a cycle of self-injury, physical assaults, and chronic insomnia that within days catapulted him into a dangerously manic state — during which he risked seizures and seriously injuring anyone in proximity to him. Introducing anti-psychotic medicine delivered the jolt of serotonin to Zack’s brain that allowed him to reclaim his stability. Might other medicines become available that would work better? A movement that vilifies any medical mention of “risk,” “limitations,” or extreme behaviors has the power to thwart the development of such urgently needed drugs.

I hope Congress hears parents like me

The Autism CARES Act, which allocates NIH-funded research and services, sunsets on Sept. 30. Fierce debates are already underway about what Congress should do when it reauthorizes this funding. On one side stand autistic self-advocates who rally against any research not explicitly approved by them. On the other are parents who are desperate for clinical advancements but are so engulfed in the daily ordeal of managing their profoundly autistic children’s aggression and property destruction that they are largely incapable of organizing. The few dedicated parents calling for NIH to set aside funding to specifically address “profound autism” are vastly outnumbered by neurodiverse advocates who seek to block the act from passing if such “stigmatizing” language is included.

The loudest voices seek to abolish all spending on autism medical research and replace it with select services, such as workforce initiatives, that assist only those with milder autism. It’s here that the idea of neurodiversity poses the greatest threat — a movement that celebrates autism in all its forms, and depicts even the most severe afflictions as “merely a difference,” vehemently opposes any investigation into autism’s causes as ableist.

The truth is that we still don’t know what explains the steep rise in autism — perhaps it’s the product of widespread environmental contaminants altering our children’s brains — and this increase needs urgent attention. As these children age, state programs already strained by the deluge of adults needing lifelong services threaten to collapse entirely. Capitulating to self-advocates’ demands amid a global proliferation of one of the gravest disorders of our time is not only morally incoherent but medical malpractice.

In the natural course of events, every profoundly autistic child will eventually be orphaned by the most qualified and dedicated caretakers he’s ever known — his parents. Absent meticulous advance planning and abundant resources, that child will be automatically transitioned by the state to placement in a residential living arrangement. For that child to be placed appropriately depends entirely upon having accurate clinical information about the intensity of his needs, taking into account the possibility of physical aggression, self-injury, elopement, property destruction, seizures, and other overlapping medical needs. I’m confident that if a person facing homelessness and a precariously uncertain future were asked whether he values a safe residential arrangement over semantics that obscure his diagnosis, he would choose the former.

For the record, any language that contorts or constricts the full scope of Zack’s identity is something I find deeply offensive. Zack has struggled with innumerable obstacles and heartbreak in navigating a world that does not come naturally to him, and his competence is strengthening to this day. Blurring his identity under the indistinct banner of “neurodiverse” erases Zack’s lived history — all that he has endured and overcome to get here.

Whitney Ellenby is a former disability rights attorney in the US Department of Justice and the author of the 2018 book “Autism Uncensored: Pulling Back the Curtain.” She is also the founder of Autism Ambassadors, which runs recreational events for over 800 families affected by autism in the Washington, D.C., area.

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Breaking news, my future daughter-in-law called me a ‘jerk’ over this wedding dress act.

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A woman shared a contentious family situation on social media and asked others for input after a future daughter-in-law – the bride-to-be – tried to direct the choice of dress for the upcoming wedding, with unsuccessful results. 

Asked the older woman recently on the Reddit page known as “Am I the a–hole,” “AITA for apparently making the wedding all about me by being difficult and not taking off work to go dress shopping?”

The mother-in-law travels for work Monday through Friday, she told others. 

“I have been getting on a plane every Monday and getting back on Friday due to a project needing to be supervised,” she wrote on the platform. 

Meanwhile, her future daughter-in-law, she said, works “four days a week … 10-hour shifts.”

The older woman, calling herself “BrilliantMuffin1405” on Reddit, said the younger woman “wants to [meet] up to get a dress for the wedding. She wants to be there when I get a dress. Originally, I was just going to wear the same dress I wear for all weddings (long blue dress), but she wanted me to wear something else since it will match her bridesmaids.”

So, wrote the future mother-in-law, she checked her calendar and saw that “Sunday would be the best day to do this. We are both off. She told me no, since that is her rest day.”

Then the bride “asked for Monday,” said the older woman.

“I told her I can’t and have to work. Then I suggested Friday or Saturday after work – [but] those got shut down” as well.

The younger woman, she added, “wants me to take off work. I then suggested she send me examples of what she wants, and I’ll shop by myself and buy something like the examples. Also, shut down.”

The mother-in-law said, “After much back and forth, I told [her] that [I] will just wear the blue dress. This started an argument, and she called me a jerk.”

She continued, “My son is mad that I am making the wedding about me and not taking off work. I don’t think I am being unreasonable.”

In an update to her post, the woman wrote that her son wanted her to share her story on Reddit to see what others said about it. He then “told me I can wear the blue dress and that it won’t be an issue.”

So far, she added, “no response [from] future DIL.”

More than 8,000 people reacted to the post to date, with more than 2,000 posting comments.

The woman was deemed “NTA” by others on the platform. 

Dr. Kathy Wilkerson, a licensed clinical psychologist who is based in California and who handles many relationship issues, acknowledged how challenging such family situations can be.

“Everyone has very busy lives and everyone wants to try to make the other people happy without going too far out of their own way,” she told Fox News Digital in an email. 

“The original poster is not having a difficult schedule and not being willing or able to take time off from work. Some projects cannot be left alone, unsupervised. I’m assuming that since she has to travel there every week, her presence on-site is critical.”

Added Nickerson, “What I would suggest is that she tell her future daughter-in-law that she wants to make her happy, and she understands this is a very important day.”

As such, she continued, the “future DIL should pick out three dresses that she would be happy for [the original poster] to wear and she [the future mother-in-law] will pick one of those three.”

Said Nickerson, “The goal in these situations is always compromise without giving up too much. Be as flexible as you can and always validate the other person’s feelings, even if you don’t agree.” 

Wrote another person with a much blunter message for the woman, “I’d keep your son’s room ready for him. He’ll be back.”

The top comment on Reddit about the family drama, which earned some 13,000 “upvotes,” contained the following thoughts: “You’ve offered reasonable suggestions to make this work, and she’s shot down each of them. That’s not your fault. Why is she so invested in being there with you? Surely you can pick out a dress in a fit and style that would be appropriate and suitable.”

This commenter also said of the bride-to-be, “She is incapable of compromise. I’d have lost my temper at ‘that’s my rest day’ … No marriage can be happy without the ability to compromise.”

Said the same person, “Is she always like this, about everything? If so, your son is making a huge mistake and marrying someone who will make his life hell.”

Another person directed thoughts to the son: “Apologize to your mom and tell your fiancée that she either needs to accept that your mom will wear the blue dress, allow your mom to select her own dress of the appropriate color – OR commit to a shopping trip on a day your mom is off work.”

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MCU Spider-Man 4's Latest Update Has Me Worried For The Future Of Tom Holland's Peter Parker

• Spider-Man: No Way Home's success may put pressure on Spider-Man 4 to match its spectacle, raising concerns among fans.
• The risk in making Spider-Man 4 bigger with multiverse cameos is that it could overshadow Peter Parker's central story.
• The hope is that Spider-Man 4 focuses on delivering a good movie rather than just a "significant event" to properly honor Tom Holland's MCU story.

I'm concerned about Tom Holland's Spider-Man 4 , especially after the latest update on the upcoming MCU movie. The last MCU Spider-Man movie, Spider-Man: No Way Home , wrapped up Holland's trilogy in spectacular fashion. Not only did the No Way Home ending finally complete Peter Parker's origin story - complete with a new spin on Uncle Ben's " with great power comes great responsibility " moment - the movie brought back former cinematic Spider-Man actors Tobey Maguire and Andrew Garfield.

All told, Spider-Man: No Way Home was an event film tying together three generations of web-slingers on the big screen, and it paid off to the tune of $1.916 billion at the worldwide box office. After such massive success, it's no wonder that Sony Motion Pictures Group chairman Tom Rothman would tout the forthcoming Spider-Man 4 as a "significant event." He said:

Let me tell you when the last of the Spider-Verse movies comes with Phil Lord and Chris Miller, its going to be a significant event, as will the next Tom Holland Spider-Man film.

However, what Rothman considers a significant event doesn't necessarily translate to a good movie. As a Spider-Man fan, I would much prefer a good Spider-Man movie to another No Way Home -style event film , which is why I'm worried about Spider-Man 4 .

Every Upcoming Marvel Movie: Full MCU Phase 5 & 6 List (& Beyond)

Between Marvel Studios and Sony Pictures Entertainment, here is every upcoming Marvel movie release date and what we know about the projects so far.

Making Spider-Man 4 Go Bigger Than No Way Home Could Be A Mistake

Spider-man: no way home was already a major crossover.

Getting all three modern Spider-Man actors together on the big screen was a major feat for No Way Home . The MCU Spider-Man movies had already become well-known for including small crossovers with the larger franchise, since both Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home featured prominent Marvel characters, in addition to Peter Parker. But crossing over with two unconnected film series was unprecedented for the MCU, and it's a stunt that shouldn't be done too often, or it loses its appeal .

If Spider-Man 4 repeats the same type of gimmick - or worse, if they try to go even bigger - the movie risks becoming too much about spectacle and too little about the story . Making a sequel just to make it bigger and more flashy so rarely works out well for Hollywood. To (purposefully incorrectly) quote Jurassic Park , "Your studios were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should." It's my hope that Spider-Man 4 doesn't fall prey to this line of thinking.

If Sony were to include more multiverse characters in Spider-Man 4 in an effort to make it a significant event, the cameos would inevitably detract from each other; after all, there's a reason Kirsten Dunst's MJ and Emma Stone's Gwen Stacy didn't appear in No Way Home . Beyond that, additional characters would also pull attention away from Holland's central story. Above all else, Spider-Man 4 should be sure to focus on Holland's Peter Parker , and since No Way Home's ending set up a smaller Spider-Man story, it may not make sense for him to have another multiverse adventure. But then that begs the question of how else Spider-Man 4 could be a significant event.

Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man 3, The Amazing Spider-Man, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Spider-Man: Homcoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home are all available to stream on Disney+.

I'm Worried Spider-Man 4 Will Conclude Tom Holland's MCU Story

The movie could see peter parker pass the torch - or be killed off.

If Spider-Man 4 doesn't go the route of attempting to top No Way Home in terms of multiverse spectacle and legacy cameos, then another way Sony and Marvel could turn it into a significant event is by making it an important chapter in Holland's Peter Parker's story. Since the actor has been in the MCU for eight years and made six movie appearances , the most obvious next step is some form of ending. The only ways heroes have ended their stories in the MCU so far has been through death or passing on their mantle to a new character.

This makes me worried about Holland's next Spider-Man movie for a different reason than it becoming a multiverse cameo-fest. Despite his years and appearances in the MCU, No Way Home's ending made me think I was finally going to get the Spider-Man movie I've always wanted for Holland - one that doesn't focus too much on other MCU characters like Iron Man and Nick Fury. To have that movie then either kill off Peter Parker or have him pass the torch would feel like the franchise is skipping a step. If the first three movies were Peter's full origin story, then we need at least one proper Spider-Man movie in the MCU.

All I Want Is A Good Spider-Man Movie

Please, sony and marvel, i'm begging.

My hope is that Sony and Marvel won't simply make a movie that's a "significant event," but one that is a good Spider-Man movie.

More than anything else, my hope is that Sony and Marvel won't simply make a movie that's a "significant event," but one that is a good Spider-Man movie. There have been so many great Spider-Man movies across the various live-action and animated franchises, and they've varied so drastically that it's clear there are plenty of ways to make a good Spider-Man movie . But what they've all had in common is they've tried to do something new with the Spider-Man character, while still staying true to his roots.

There's certainly the possibility that Spider-Man 4 could tell an excellent story that also happens to include a variety of multiverse cameos, or a version of the movie that sees Peter Parker training a protégé in Miles Morales. But if the studios focus too much on making Spider-Man 4 a "significant event," rather than making it a good movie, then I'm worried about what the film will ultimately become. Hopefully, my concerns will be for naught and Sony and Marvel will deliver a good Spider-Man movie when Spider-Man 4 eventually hits theaters.

Spider-Man Homecoming 4

Spider-Man: Homecoming 4 is the first sequel to the MCU's Spider-Man trilogy starring Tom Holland as the titular wall-crawler. After wiping his identity for the public's memory in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker continues his crime-fighting adventures without the aid of Iron Man technology or the support of his former allies.

Studio(s) Pascal Pictures, Marvel Studios, Columbia Pictures

Distributor(s) Sony

Cast Zendaya, Jacob Batalon, Tom Holland

Franchise(s) Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man

prequel(s) Spider-Man: Far From Home, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Spider-Man: No Way Home

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The Sunday Read: ‘Why Did This Guy Put a Song About Me on Spotify?’

The answer involves a remarkable — and lucrative, and ridiculous — scheme to game the way we find music today..

By Brett Martin

Read by Eric Jason Martin

Produced by Adrienne Hurst and Aaron Esposito

Narration produced by Tanya Pérez and Krish Seenivasan

Edited by John Woo

Original music by Aaron Esposito

Engineered by Sophia Lanman and Devin Murphy

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify

Have you heard the song “Brett Martin, You a Nice Man, Yes”?

Probably not. On Spotify, “Brett Martin, You a Nice Man, Yes” has not yet accumulated enough streams to even register a tally. Even Brett Martin, a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and the titular Nice Man, didn’t hear the 1 minute 14 second song until last summer, a full 11 years after it was uploaded by an artist credited as Papa Razzi and the Photogs.

When Martin stumbled on “Brett Martin, You a Nice Man, Yes,” he naturally assumed it was about a different, more famous Brett Martin: perhaps Brett Martin, the left-handed reliever who until recently played for the Texas Rangers; or Brett Martin, the legendary Australian squash player; or even Clara Brett Martin, the Canadian who in 1897 became the British Empire’s first female lawyer. Only when the singer began referencing details of stories that he made for public radio’s “This American Life” almost 20 years ago did he realize the song was actually about him. The song ended, “I really like you/Will you be my friend?/Will you call me on the phone?” Then it gave a phone number, with a New Hampshire area code.

So, he called.

There are a lot of ways to listen to ‘The Daily.’ Here’s how.

We want to hear from you. Tune in, and tell us what you think. Email us at [email protected] . Follow Michael Barbaro on X: @mikiebarb . And if you’re interested in advertising with The Daily, write to us at [email protected] .

Additional production for The Sunday Read was contributed by Isabella Anderson, Anna Diamond, Sarah Diamond, Elena Hecht, Emma Kehlbeck, Tanya Pérez, Frannie Carr Toth and Krish Seenivasan.

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