text: I wake up early one morning in October. I’m ecstatic! Today is the day I’ve been looking forward to since last year, when my sister got that message on her birthday. I couldn’t wait to get my message. Being the youngest in my friend group, all of my friends also already got their message. I turn on my phone, and, nothing. Not a single message. Well, it’s only 6:00 A.M., maybe future me is still asleep. I get up out of bed and start getting ready for my day. I shower, get dressed, make my bag and go downstairs. When I go into the living room, everyone is waiting for me, yelling “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!”. I thank my family as they hand me cake and presents, when my little sister comes up to me and asks “Well, what does it say?”. Everyone turns to me. “Oh, uh, I didn’t get it yet” I reply, “I guess I’m still asleep or something. Everyone looks worried. “What do you mean still asleep? He’s sending a message from the future! It doesn’t matter what time it is here!” My sister says. “Yeah, I guess” I mumble, starting to worry. ‘Why wouldn’t I send my past self a message?’ I think to myself, ‘Everyone gets a message from the future on their 15th birthday’. I go to school, where all my friends wish me a happy birthday, and talk about how we’re going to celebrate tonight. I don’t mention the message to anyone. By 12:00, I start panicking. What if future me got depressed and decided to end it all? What if I become a junkie and OD? What if I messed with the wrong people and they made me disappear? What if I’m broke and homeless and can’t even afford a phone? Crazier and crazier ideas run through my mind as the day goes on. By 9:00 I’m officially freaking out. I’m getting ready to goo out, getting dressed and heading out, walking to my best friend’s house, where we planned to meet up before they take me somewhere to celebrate. All night I’m watching my phone, waiting anxiously, but, nothing. At 12:01 my heart sank, I feel a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye. “That’s it” I say “I’m done”. I go home an hour later and break down crying. What could have happened to me? What have I done? A month later, I’m still thinking about my birthday. I start to get the realization that if my time is so limited, I may as well live the best life I can. I decide I’m going to start working hard at everything that I do. I’ll study hard, work out more, eat better and live everyday as if it’s my last, because it may very well be. I wake up early one morning in October. I’m ecstatic, because today is going to be a great day, just like every day these past 11 months has been. I turn on my phone and suddenly, a message pops up. It reads: “Dear Drew, Happy birthday! I’m sorry you didn’t get your message last year, I know how you felt. You see, I know the path you were going down. One of self loathing, self pity, depression and self destruction, and you were taking no actions to improve you situation. I knew you needed a wake up call, and that was the best idea I had. I want you to know that I’m a very happy person nowadays. I have a great life, and I’m surrounded by people that I love, and it’s all thanks to the path I decided to take when I was 15. Proud of you, and wishing you a happy birthday, and trust me, this is a very happy one, Drew, 2049” That was the happiest day of my life.