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Alicia's avatar

As someone older, you are so amazingly young…which you might not realize until you’re 10 years out from this post and looking back on it. I understand how it feels to feel like you’re “behind,” but all of your experiences are unique to you and 10 years from now you will realize everything happened right on time.

I come from the Midwest where all of the people in my high school got married and had babies young and I used to feel this huge sense of FOMO. Then I got to date so many interesting men that taught me a lot about myself and I got to stay younger just a little bit longer. Now I realize I’m happy all of those things and people didn’t work out. Sometimes the feeling of being behind never goes away because success looks different for everyone.

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zana's avatar

this was so honest and heartwarming :) happiest birthday!!

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JustSomeMustard's avatar

Mustard loved how honest this was. They wish you a happy birthday!!

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bujing's avatar

happy birthday, ate faith! 🇵🇭 come visit here sometime :>>

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sofia's avatar

have an amazing day and year ahead!! 💖

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Tim Strong's avatar

happy birthday Faith! hope you have a great day and an amazing year :))

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Tim Strong's avatar

also feel you so much on the Severance thing that show has a strong, strong hold on me right now

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Mónica Bozinoski's avatar

Happy birthday and thank you for another great essay <3

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ruby ❣️'s avatar

awww happy happy birthday !!! 💗💗💗 this is wonderful btw

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Caroline Beuley's avatar

Happy Birthday Faith!! I totally get the feeling of wasted potential and pressure to achieve things or figure everything out in your twenties (actually wrote a whole essay on it) but life is so long and you’re absolutely on the right course!! Congrats on another year heading in the right direction, towards your dreams!! Also yes I really think we get hotter every year 💁🏼‍♀️

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sarah cucchiara's avatar

this is so beautiful. happy birthday my love 🩷

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sophia's avatar

needed this sooo bad rn! amazing work & happy birthday!<3

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Eff 💌's avatar

thank you for publishing this bc i feel the exact way and i turn 21 this year. i think a lot of my dread about my future is just about the fact that i'm in such a different path than all my friends at college right now (currently not in school bc i failed the semester + looking for a boring job in the meantime + when i was in school, i was at community college instead of a 4 year). i hope 24 brings less worry and more time spent in the present for you <3

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karina's avatar

happy birthday :’) this was a lovely read. also love the idea of a future quiz sent from the past — it’s kind of like journaling and writing and leaving it in a place where you can access (like this substack!!) a message from a past version of you, to you.

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ella's avatar

happiest birthday faith!!! this is so :’) yes. unfortunately no other words but i’m glad there’s someone else out there who feels the way i feel too.

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Zoe Elisabeth's avatar

Happy birthday! This list of questions is such a cool idea.

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