Dear Present Me,

Reading your letter fills me with an overwhelming sense of pride, gratitude, and profound relief. I reflect on a time when I was engulfed in silence and uncertainty, wrestling with doubts about whether the path I was on would ever lead to something meaningful. The challenges I faced felt insurmountable, yet you have emerged as a resilient and accomplished individual—someone who stands tall not despite what we lost, but because of what we built in its place.

Your words resonate deeply within me, and I want you to know how much hearing from you means to me. It is a comfort that my past self desperately needed to know that all the struggles, confusion, and isolation I endured were not in vain. I remember those long, silent days filled with unanswered questions. Each morning, I would wake up hoping to hear the world again, only to be met with the same unrelenting silence. It felt like I was trapped in a bubble, unable to connect with the sounds of life surrounding me. Every hospital visit, every treatment, and every desperate attempt to regain my hearing seemed to end in disappointment. Yet, you have managed to turn all of that into something extraordinary.

You took every moment of helplessness and fear and transformed them into a source of strength and motivation. I recall struggling to read lips in a noisy classroom, feeling left behind and disconnected as friends laughed and talked around me. Each fleeting glimpse of moving lips felt like a reminder of what I was missing. But you have proven that those moments didn’t break us; they built us. You turned our story of silence into a symphony of resilience. Every setback I encountered became a step you took forward. I am deeply grateful that you didn’t give in when things seemed bleak and that you didn’t settle for mediocrity when I was so tempted to. Thank you for having the courage to believe in possibilities beyond what I could see, for embracing the challenges I faced, and forging a path that I couldn’t have envisioned.

Your accomplishments today—becoming a Backend Engineer — fill me with a sense of fulfilment I once thought was impossible. When I paused my schooling due to hearing loss, I felt as though life was passing me by, while I grappled with this new reality. The world was moving on, and I felt like I was standing still. But you showed me that every pause is not an end; instead, it is a moment to reflect, adapt, and gather strength for a greater leap forward.

There were moments when I doubted our potential, wondering if I would ever amount to much. When my peers moved forward, when teachers spoke without knowing I couldn’t hear, and when everything felt overwhelmingly impossible—you carried a hope that seemed distant to me. You took what I perceived as a permanent barrier and turned it into a stepping stone. You took my silence and made it speak louder than any words could. For that, I am beyond grateful.

Thank you for refusing to let our disability define us. Thank you for not allowing the challenges we faced to overwhelm our aspirations. You took the dreams that I tucked away in silence and turned them into a reality that speaks of strength, capability, and determination. You’ve honoured every tear, every struggle, and every moment of doubt by transforming them into the pillars of our success.

As you continue your journey, I urge you to keep this momentum alive. Break down barriers and challenge the limitations society places on individuals with disabilities. Continue to show the world that what some perceive as a limitation can become a source of extraordinary potential. Your journey demonstrates that true potential is not measured by what we can hear or see but by the strength and resolve we carry within.

Today, you embody the courage I wished I had when I first faced this challenge. You embody the strength I sought when the world grew quiet around me. You are proof that adversity doesn’t break us; it reveals who we are meant to be. I may not have known it back then, but now I see that every trial we endured was shaping you into the remarkable person you’ve become.

When I paused my education, I experienced moments filled with self-doubt and fear. I wondered if I would ever return to the life I once knew and if I would ever be able to learn and grow in the same way. Yet, here you are—continuing our education, pursuing knowledge, and mastering complex subjects in technology. Thank you for stepping up and being brave when I felt overwhelmed. Thank you for pushing through when I hesitated. Thank you for seeing the light where I only saw shadows.

You’ve set a new standard for what is possible. You didn’t just overcome; you surpassed every expectation. By becoming a Backend Engineer, you’ve demonstrated that our abilities are limitless—not defined by what we can no longer do, but by the boundless potential of what we can achieve. You’ve shown that true excellence lies not in hearing the world but in ensuring the world hears us—through our work, our persistence, and our unwavering spirit.

My gratitude for you, Present Me, is immeasurable. Every time you faced a new challenge—whether adapting to a new learning environment or navigating a professional world that wasn’t designed with us in mind—you carried us through. You made decisions I once feared to make, embraced opportunities I hesitated to pursue, and took leaps I thought were impossible. You’ve made our journey not just one of survival, but one of triumph.

Thank you for proving that silence can be powerful, that loss can lead to gain, and that limitations are merely thresholds to be crossed. You’ve set a precedent that there is no obstacle too great, no barrier too high, and no challenge insurmountable. You’ve shown that we can turn any adversity into a source of strength, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

So, keep moving forward, Present Me. Keep breaking new ground and making your mark. Let your story continue to inspire not just others but also me. I look to you now with a heart full of gratitude, knowing that every tear, every struggle, and every moment of doubt I faced as Past Me has been honoured and transformed into something extraordinary.

Thank you for making our journey worth it. Thank you for showing that it’s not the sound of the world that defines us, but the impact we make on it. Thank you for carrying forward a dream I once thought lost and for turning it into a reality that resonates with strength, courage, and endless possibilities.

With deepest admiration and gratitude,
Your Ever-Hopeful,
Past Me.

#Transformation Turning struggles into strengths. #Opportunities New chances to grow and excel. #Hope Believing in a brighter future. #Potential The capacity to achieve success. #Journey The path of growth and transformation. #Silence A defining element of the journey. #Determination The unwavering commitment to achieving goals. #Courage Facing struggles with bravery. #Triumph Achieving success despite great difficulties. #Barriers Obstacles faced in communication and life.