It felt really good being able to appreciate myself! This letter really showed me that I have to do it more because I do deserve being appreciated.

The song I chose was Till Dawn (Here Comes the Sun) by the Weeknd. I used to cry to this song feeling like my life had no meaning. But now I can listen to it, and I can feel hope. Although it's mainly about denial, the lyrics "Well here comes the sun, and you're in my arms" makes me feel that after everything that has happened, the sun is still going to come up, and what I hope for (contentment in my life) is here with me. 

As for the rest of my letter:

To my own damn self,

You’ve had some real challenges to deal with recently, like…

• Being diagnosed with depression half-way through university and during the start of COVID-19
• Graduating with a lower honours class than you wanted
• One of your two closest friends moving away

I’m grateful that you got through tough times by…

• Seeking help when you realised you needed it instead of trying to do it all yourself
• Starting to accept what you’ve been through instead of trying to ignore it
• Still trying your hardest

Over the past two years, you learnt more about yourself. You learnt…

• That I can persevere through serious hardship and keep going
• I don’t have to live up to my “perfect self” and nothing bad is going to happen to me if I don’t
• Just how important my friends and family are to my mental health

I’m excited for the future because…

• I’ve got a very fun ski holiday coming up in July!
• I’ll be able to see the progress the kids I work with make
• I can see my extended family who I haven’t seen in a while