Payal Doshi

Dear past Me,

Now, don’t be alarmed. 

I’m writing this letter to you from the future, can you believe it?! The year is 2022 and a lot has happened in our life. But if I have to pick the single best thing it’s that we have an adorably precocious, princess-loving, road signs obsessed four-year-old daughter! The single most not-so-best thing, however, is that the world is living through a pandemic. Yup, think wearing masks to avoid catching the virus, living in lockdown, sanitizing constantly, travel bans—you name it. I know what you’re thinking… but no, it isn’t as bleak as The Hunger Games, it’s more like Contagion (not that it’s any better). We’re in our third year, and things are looking up slightly. I won’t get into all the details because this moment of global life will make history textbooks and movies for years to come, trust me. But know that the ones we love are safe and healthy.

I don’t know during what time in our younger life you will receive this letter. You could be 10, 16, 24, 32… I want to share every life lesson, every piece of advice I can, every dos and every don’ts, but my thoughts are meandering and clashing into each other, fighting to get onto the page and collapsing into a puddle of emotion. So, I’ve decided to write you a list. A list of musings you can come back to when you’re sad, lonely, and even over-the-moon happy. I’ll keep it short and useful, and hopefully you will find in it some pearls of wisdom life has taught us along the way. After all, we love a good list, don’t we? 

  1. Life can turn in a moment. It means good tidings can swerve unexpectedly down roads we never meant to go. It also means the hard times too will pass. There was a picture I saw drawn by an artist that had a girl standing under an awning outside a closed shop, no umbrella in hand, and clothes drenched in a relentless downpour of rain and thundering lightening. She looked scared and alone. Below it was the caption: “It can’t rain all the time.” I think about that quote a lot, and it brings me to my next point.

  2. Celebrate the little moments. Life is full of them if you only look a little closer.
    The first break of sunlight when you’re groggy and making breakfast at 6:30am.
    A sudden squeal of giggles from the playroom.
    The petrichor of rain after a hot summer spell.
    Mimosas at brunch.
    The first day of spring.
    A red cardinal perched on a snow laden branch.
    Wildflowers.
    The sound of waves.
    Crumbs on the table after a hearty meal.
    The ring of a video call coming from continents away.
    A wonderfully crafted sentence.

    A piping hot cup of masala chai and a plate of fried pakoras on an autumn afternoon.

    A teardrop falling on a page of a book you don’t want to end.

  3. You will publish a novel! But the road won’t be easy. In fact, it will be abjectly difficult. Writing—creating worlds, creating stories—will bring you the greatest fulfillment, escape, and purpose but it also bring you rejection, sadness, and defeat seeming sometimes like a winding tunnel with no end. When I was at my lowest, Dad said, “When you feel like quitting, think about why you started.” (I think he stole the quote, but it’s very good nonetheless.) Persevere we must in the things we love. What awaits us at the end of that long, winding tunnel will be worth it.

  4. Put yourself first. Get that manicure you want, nay need. Book that massage. Procrastinate, binge Netflix, eat a family pack of chips, read, do nothing. Life goes on. Only you’ll be better rested to take it on.

  5. Remember, experiences enrich our lives more than any material object. It’s been one of the most impactful lessons living through the pandemic has taught me. So, don’t wait to book that trip to spend time with family and friends. You’ll always have a million things on your plate. It’s when you suddenly aren’t allowed to visit, do you realize how wildly you miss seeing them and spending those simple moments together.

  6. I’ll end with the most cliched advice. Since we don’t know what tomorrow brings, live today to the fullest. It could be a miraculously productive day, it could be a day where you get nothing done, it could be a day with a little bit of everything. Make mistakes. Feel all your emotions. Cry out the sadness. Laugh out the happiness. Take all the pictures you want.

Live life like the gift it truly is.

Yours truly,

Payal

P.S: Through everything we’ve been through, I’m proud of us. 😊