future me.

10 years ago my siblings and i made time capsules that we are opening christmas eve. i can't imagine what 14-year-old michel put in the capsule, and the excitement of this discovery is almost too much for me to bear! the only condition is that i have to take things to add for 2020. i don't want to list the things i'm adding because i don't want to remember. i want to surprise myself with new-again goodies! i will, however, let you read the note i wrote 34-year-old future me. because i know you are waiting on pins and needles. on christmas eve. i'm sure my blog is ALL YOU CAN THINK ABOUT. :) so - wait no longer, friends!

Dear 34-year-old me,

34!! wow. that seems so old! i hope you took care of your skin and got better about sunscreen and moisturizer than you are right now! i guess you and jake probably have kids now as the idea of that doesn't make you wake up in cold sweats and panicking anymore. i wonder what you would say to a 24-year-old you… would you tell me to stop complaining about my size 8 body and enjoy it while it lasts? would you have done anything differently? what's been your greatest accomplishment since 2010? right now some of the most recent accomplishments are packing up everything and leaving behind your hometown to move to florida with jake. it was an accomplishment because we saved so much money and we really leaned on each other for support. we had to trust God to move in big ways - he did. you got a job almost immediately working for sonny davis. i wonder if you are still working there?? you also ran your first half-marathon with your mom right before her 48th birthday. that's a big deal!! your time was 2:45:59 and you are getting ready for your next one in disney world! right now you live right on the water in navarre, fl in a townhouse. it's an awesome view and i love for people to come visit, but it's a commute to work, church, and life in general. we are hoping to move closer to everything in april. i wonder where you live now?? i hope you got to buy a house and decorate it just the way you like. i wonder what your style is? right now you can never decide. sometimes you like all white rooms with a pop of color (like blue or red) and a modern white couch. sometimes you like warm cozy rooms with a fluffy brown couch with kids' painting framed on the wall. 

you became an aunt this year. amelia was born in may and she stole your heart! she has the blondest hair, bluest  eyes,  and rosiest cheeks. i bet she thinks you're awesome! i can tell she thinks that now she just can't say it :) when you have kids, the names you really like are : poppy, cate, olive, oliver, bear, mac, elsie, bea, caroline, ruby, and you recently decided you liked felix - jake shot that one down. :( i wonder what you chose??? i wonder how many kids you have? are you done? it would surprise me if you had a kid after 34, but hey - ya never know! 

it's hard for me to say what is popular these days, because (as you probably know) i'm a classics kinda girl. i like old movies, old music (or indie, unheard-of stuff). youtube is huge. i wonder if it still is? in case you forgot (which you probably did given your memory) youtube is where EVERYONE videos themselves and anyone can watch. it's basically for having a good laugh at someone.  however, i taught myself how to crochet on youtube. do you still do that? you also like to do hand embroidery. do you still do that? if not, please get back into it. it's something you loved. you also dab a little here and there in photography and do beach weddings for loughtide beach weddings. is that still around, i wonder? facebook. ohhhh, facebook. is facebook still kicking in 2020? right now it's crazy huge. and twitter. everyone is so connected and, at the same time, disconnected. everyone is always plugged into the internet/social network that sometimes we don't pay any attention to life that is happening all around us. sometimes i have to make myself put down the phone and enjoy the moment. momma is really good at enjoying the moments. everyone says i'm just like her. i hope i still am. because of all the technology and lack of real people interaction, a lot of people are really into vintage things, homemaking, and handmade things. at least, i think that's why people reach for that so much. it just makes you remember that slow and imperfect isn't always bad and that the latest, greatest, quickest isn't always best.  the environment is a big issue now. everyone talks of doing their part to make the world cleaner. we've done a lot of damage, and the reverse is much harder. most people who are trying to "go green" recycle, have stopped using plastic water bottles, take reusable bags to the grocery store, and don't buy new. also, other big issues are legalizing gay marriage, will there be social security for people my age when we get older, the war on iraq that has been going on for 9 years. 

i hope this letter finds you well. i hope you still enjoy life as much as you did 10 years ago. i hope you still learn new things and work on always being a better person. i hope you love and i hope you are grateful. the first 24 years have been a blast! 

here's to 44-year-old michel and may gravity be kind to her! ;)

love, yourself

no. seriously. love yourself. 

and there ya go! merry christmas eve!