25年後に開けたタイムカプセル
Hello, welcome to Letters Lane. I�m Sophia.Tonight, from this little room, I�d like
to share a letter with you. Tonight�s letter.
When we are young, the future feels like it liesfar, far away. Yet, we believe that the
future is waiting there for us. A few simplewords, words buried beneath the soil for 25
years, become a gentle bridge connecting the childwe once were to the person we are today.
Come, let�s open tonight�s letter together.
The Time Capsule We Opened 25 Years Later
25 years ago, a few of us stood in my parents�backyard with muddy sneakers and a coffee
tin we proudly called a �time capsule.� We werecertain the future would arrive in
no time. Inside, we tucked away baseball cards, afew photos, a tiny toy, and letters written
in oversized handwriting. Then we coveredeverything with dirt, laughing as if we had hiddena
secret only time could unlock. This afternoon, wedug it up. The old oak tree had grown taller
than any of us imagined. The yard looked smaller,but somehow warmer. The metal tin was rusted
around the edges, yet it had done its job. When Iunfolded my letter, I smiled before
I even read it. The handwriting leaned in everydirection. Some words were misspelled.
The paper smelled faintly of age and summer. I hadasked my future self questions that only
a child would think to ask. �Do you still laugh alot?� �Do you have people who
子どもの自分からの手紙
make you feel at home?� �Did you remember thethings that made you happy?� Reading
those lines, I realized something. That little kidwasn�t worried about success or failure.
All that mattered was hoping the person openingthis letter would be doing okay. �I�m happy
to tell you, I think I am. Life didn�t follow themap I imagined, but it led me somewhere
worth standing. Some dreams changed. Some stayedwith me. Some quietly became part of
who I am without me noticing. Thank you forbelieving there would be someone here to read
your letter. You gave the future a reason to smilelong before it arrived.
Sometimes the greatest gift our past selves leaveus is not a prophecy of the future.
It is, rather, a quiet hope. The belief that nomatter where life takes us, we can always
歌「Where We Buried Tomorrow」
find a reason to smile. And now, I�d like to sharetonight�s song with you, �Where
We Buried Tomorrow.�
We left our names beneath an old oak tree Withpockets full of dreams we�d never see
A coffee can and promises entwined Believing everystar would still shine
Years rolled by like bikes down neighborhoodstreets
Still I can hear those careless summer beats Somethings faded, some refused to go
The best of us was someone�s voices then Youcarried them through, we�re the same
Still and you call it every season Standing bysomehow, every careful hand
And was waiting just beneath Inside that rust wasmore than paper dreams
Held the heart behind the end I don�t needyesterday
It never really left, it learned A new sunriselets me know
Some promises were, they became another startEvery small hope found room inside mine
The child I was still whispers soft Somehow,you�re doing just fine
Look at you now, beneath that tree Tomorrow waitedpatiently
So did I
子どもの夢を抱えて成長する
Growing up may not mean leaving our childhooddreams behind. Perhaps it is actually about
realizing that those dreams have been within usall along.
Thank you for spending this part of your eveningwith Letters Lane. I hope tonight�s letter
stays with you in your heart for a long time tocome.
Until next time!
The next letter arrived that night. This is Sophiafrom Letters Lane. Good night.