Dear six-year-old me,

What would you think of me, of our life, our journey, and the times that have yet to be?

We’ve watched the world grow, seen time turn to gold, and ask “What happened to the good ole days?”

I remember when we rode the bus with our grandmother and dotted at the thought of graduating college in 2024. Well, I’m sorry to tell you that didn’t happen…

“Are you serious?”

“I’m sure…”

But don’t worry that day will come soon, and then there will be 3 of us, past present, and future you. 

I hope you aren’t disappointed, and no I don’t drive trains…

I gave up that dream a long time ago…

I guess life just works that way.

So what do I dream about you ask?

Well graduating that’s for sure, but deep down I dream about much much more.

I dream about moving into my first apartment and not being asked if I make 40x the rent

I dream about being responded to by an employer

And my most reoccurring dream, about being six years old again, and having not a worry in the world. 

Word of advice,

Boston, the furry little guy you met not too long ago, yea so he’s gonna bite you on the lip in two years, and 

it’s gonna bleed a lot, but don’t be worried, he’ll leave a little scar but it’ll heal right up.

Another word of advice,

Don’t dream about the future, live in the present. 

You’ll regret missing out on the smallest moments, even for a second. 

While I wish I could be a role model, its hard for me to say, you’ll probably do whatever you want anyway

I hope you read this letter with love, 

From the 21-year-old me, to the six-year-old me, XOXO, 

Elijah D.

Writing this poem, I had to think about my goals at six years old vs. my goals now which made me realize how much I had changed. One emotion I felt was sadness especially when talking about my dog Boston, who passed away this time last year. It meant a lot to write this poem because it gave me time to sit down and think about the person I was, the person I am, as well as the person I want to become. I think having conversations like this are important whether through a literary format such as a poem or even through your own internal dialogue. A line that stuck with me when thinking about age was that “time turns to gold,” and it’s a sentiment that’s carried throughout my poem because as we age, we do find our time becoming more valuable, and sometimes get lost in the mindset of nostalgia whether for the past or a future that hasn’t even happened yet. 

This is “A Letter to six-year-old me”