Every scar has a story. “Letter to My Younger Self” invites you into the reflective hearts of people who've walked winding roads—offering gentle truths, bold lessons, and encouragement for anyone still figuring it out. These weekly letters are full of grace and grit, showing how setbacks shape wisdom and how the past still holds power to teach. From nurturing curiosity to embracing mentorship, each piece is a tribute to growth through lived experience.
Moses Mwangi pens this week’s heartfelt Letter to My Younger Self.
Letter to My Younger Self
I write this as a 41-year-old man who has walked through many seasons of life some filled with joy, others with lessons I wish I had learned earlier. Looking back, there are moments I wish I had chosen differently.
First, I would never have made someone pregnant who was not my wife. I say this with deep regret. Although I have a beautiful daughter now in her early teens, I have never been able to fully enjoy my relationship with her. The differences between her mother and me rooted in our contrasting family backgrounds created a distance I wish we had bridged. Pride and ego blinded us to the possibility of working as one family.
Second, I wish I had never touched alcohol. While drinking in moderation can be a leisure activity, it has cost me dearly both financially and mentally. I can’t help but think how much further ahead I might be today. Perhaps I would be more financially stable, or I might have started projects that could have taken me far and wide.
Third, I wish I had furthered my education. I know finances play a big role, but I also wish my parents had pushed me harder to explore other courses paths that could have broadened my worldview and equipped me to handle life’s diverse challenges.
Lastly, I wish I had made my close family my number-one priority earlier in life. While I don’t have a strained relationship with my parents or siblings, I realise I could have built an even stronger bond with them when I was younger.
Despite these regrets, I am deeply grateful to God for my health, for a journalism career that has sustained me for the past 17 years, and for a supportive family I do not take for granted.
On the brighter side, my younger years were a gift. I was fortunate to be born in an era before the world went digital. I grew up when the community raised the child, when anyone could correct you if you went astray, when family values were central, and friends were truly friends. We lived life manually and practically, using our hands and creativity in school and play.
I have seen Nairobi grow from its modest beginnings into the bustling city it is today. I have witnessed Kenya’s transformation its infrastructure, its politics and I can say much of it has been for the better.
I learned self-control and respect for society, thanks to my strict but loving parents. Unlike some childhood friends who were lost to crime, drugs, disease, or prison, I never walked that path and for that, I thank God.
Perhaps the most important lesson I’ve carried is this: live within your means, accept your circumstances, and respect the space of others. That, I believe, is a foundation for peace in any life.
Everyone has a story worth sharing. If you’ve ever wished you could talk to your younger self—with wisdom, forgiveness, or clarity—we invite you to write to us. Your real, heartfelt letter might just be the encouragement someone else needs today. You may remain anonymous if preferred, but your truth matters. We don’t pay contributors, but we believe in the power of shared experience. Join us in building a collection of life’s hard-earned lessons and gentle reminders.
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