The Letter

The Letter

Terry Oldster was a very savvy business woman that took over a fortune 500 company after her father John passed away. She was forty-five years old and never had a family of her own, or cared about having one. Terry was strictly about keeping up with the money market and staying as rich as possible. She was tough on her employees and rarely giving them time off of work to be with their own families ever during the holidays. Terry spent most of her nights at the office. She had a condo on the upper east side of New York which she rarely spend the night. Terry employees hated her. They would all gather during their lunch breaks and talk about how horrible she treated them. Terry suffered from chronic migraines and refused to go to see a doctor for problem. One afternoon the pain from her migraine was so bad that she passed out from the pain. The ambulance was called and she refuse to go to the hospital to get checked. After the EMS technicians left, Terry scolded her secretary Amy for calling them to the office.

“Who told you to call for an ambulance!” snapped Terry.

“You were passed out on the floor,” said Amy.

“That cost money!” said Terry.

“I'm sorry,” said Amy.

“Get out!” screamed Terry.

Amy left out of the office closing the door behind her. She was almost in tears from Terry yelling and screaming at her. The other employees looked on, but didn't dare say a word. They all had to work past closing time because terry was still upset about the ambulance being called to the office. After everyone in the office had left, Terry had the security guard to bring her car around the front of the building. She decided to go home for the weekend to check on things. When Terry arrived at her condo, she notice that her mail was scattered through out her living room floor. She gathered up the mail and place them on top of her end table. Terry walked through her condo picking up dirty clothes that she had thrown around from the last time she was there. After cleaning up her house, she sat down o n her sofa and turned on the television. She flicked through the channels with her remote. She couldn't find nothing that she wanted to watch and turned of the television. Terry picked up her mail from the end table and began going through them. One letter stood out the most because it only had her name written on the envelope. She opened up the letter and began reading was was written.

Dear Terry,

I hope this letter finds you well. I am writing to you from a time when I made some choices that I now realize had significant consequences. I want to share my experiences with you in the hope that you can learn from my mistakes and make better decisions.

Back then, I often acted impulsively, without considering the long-term effects of my actions. I remember the time when I chose to prioritize work over spending time with family and friends. It seemed like the right decision at the moment, but it led to strained relationships and a sense of isolation that took years to mend.

Another instance was when I ignored my health, thinking I was invincible. Late nights, poor diet, and lack of exercise eventually caught up with me, leading to health issues that could have been avoided with a bit more care and attention.

I also recall being too focused on material success, often at the expense of my mental well-being. The stress and pressure to achieve more left me feeling burnt out and unfulfilled. It took a long time to realize that true happiness comes from balance and self-care, not just external achievements.

I urge you to take a moment to reflect on your current path. Are you making choices that align with your values and long-term goals? Are you taking care of your relationships, health, and mental well-being? Remember, the decisions you make today will shape your future.

Learn from my experiences and strive to make choices that lead to a fulfilling and balanced life. It’s never too late to change course and make better decisions.

Take care and be kind to yourself.

Sincerely,

Terry Ann Oldster

Terry looked puzzled when she seen her own name written at the bottom of the letter in salutations. She had received a letter from her past self warning her of the repercussions of her current actions. Terry read the letter a second time to get the true meaning of what was written. She began to think about the last time she talked to her mother Marilyn or her sister Ronnie. The last time that she could remember was at the funeral for her father four years ago. Terry had poured her self into her father's company after his passing. She remembered how it was when she was younger and how the family had no help from anyone. They lost their home because of her father not being able to find work. The family had to live inside of their station wagon. Terry vowed then that she would never be broke and homeless again. Being consumed with anger of how the family that wouldn't help them had the nerve to beg her father for money after he got on his feet. Terry felt that people ere just user and only wanted to deal with you whenever it was convenient for them. She began to think about how she had treated Amy for calling the ambulance to help her. The first thing that she was going to do on Monday morning was to apologize to Amy and all the employees at the job. She remembered how kind everyone was to her after losing her dad. Terry began to feel bad about how she had treated everybody around her. She hadn't had a wellness check up in four years. The next thing she promised to do was to make an appointment to her doctor's office. The Christmas holidays were in few weeks. Terry made it her business to give everyone bonuses and time off to share the holidays with their families. She even had decorators to come in and decorate the whole entire building decorated with Christmas decorations inside and out. It was amazing how one letter could bring about changes in someone's behavior. Terry was glad that she took time to read the letter instead of throwing it in the trash. She never realized how she was neglecting important people and things that mattered in her life. Today Terry is a happy, healthy and wealthy woman. She expanded her business and included a wellness center and a daycare for the workers who had young children. After visiting her chiropractor for back issues, they became engaged to him a year later. Terry calls and visits her mother regularly. Her sister Ronnie is currently working as one of the accountants at her business. She hasn't had one migraine headache since she made a change in her life for the better.