Dear Jay,

How have you been lately? Are you doing well? It’s currently 2027 here. I guess it’s 2020 where you are, right? You must be in Japan now. Maybe it’s the beautiful autumn leaves season. That’s nice. I’m envious. I’m in Indonesia now. I’m already married and have a child. A good child, just like you.

How’s school going? Is everything going smoothly? You’ll be graduating next March, right? Maybe you’re in the midst of job hunting now. It must be tough, but please keep up the good work.

Haha, I bet you’re curious about your future right now. You want to know who I married and what kind of job I’m doing. Unfortunately, I won’t tell you. Please look forward to your future with excitement. When you reach 35 years old, the future might have changed. I didn’t write this letter to tell you all about the future. Your future depends on what you do now.

I wrote this letter because I remembered a photo I posted on Instagram seven years ago. Those were tough times. I was disappointed and down after my first job interview went badly. What I want to tell you now is, even if you fail at something, don’t be too hard on yourself. Don’t think you’re worse than anyone else. Not just you, everyone fails at times. I understand that well now. So please cheer up and look ahead.

Life isn’t easy, so if you fail, try again, and if you fail again, try yet again. If you’re tired, don’t push yourself too hard; take a little break. Traffic lights aren’t always green, right? There are red lights too. Why do you think that is? I think it’s to prevent accidents. Our lives are similar. No one is always excellent and on green light. Sometimes it’s other people’s turn to go, and we have to stop at a red light. We have no choice but to stop moving forward then.

This means that you can’t seize every opportunity, and timing is essential. I think the most important thing is to listen to your heart. You should live by listening to what your heart says, what you really want to do. It’s okay to fail. Don’t get discouraged. You will surely succeed someday.

I think you have done well so far. The reason I’m living happily now is thanks to you. I’m truly grateful for that. Thank you.

Lastly, about our parents, even if you’re away, please keep in touch with them. Dad and Mom are always worried about you, so please do that.

If you have any troubles, don’t worry alone; consult with your parents or teachers. I’m sure you’ll get good advice.

I’ll write to you again. Take care of yourself. Goodbye.