While beside your waters, I have basked in the glory of the long-awaited summer sun in the Far Rockaways.

While beside your waters, I have placed a message in a bottle, and offered it to your currents that I’ve learned to trust with my deepest hopes, desires, fears, and secrets.

While beside your waters, I have lied on the grass and felt supported by the earth you surround.

While beside your waters, I have stretched my body and mind.

While beside your waters, I have written a pen pal letter to my mother.

While beside your waters, I have felt deep appreciation that I have a mother I can write pen pal letters to every month.

While beside your waters, I said hello to my team.

While beside your waters, I said goodbye to that same team.

While beside your waters, I have cried, dreamed, screamed.

While beside your waters, I have trained for my first triathlon.

While beside your waters, I have held a suicidal woman in my arms so she wouldn’t jump into your abyss.

While beside your waters, I have nourished my body with food in the direct sunlight.

While beside your waters, I have made love.

While beside your waters, I have watched the sun come up offering us a new day.

While beside your waters, I celebrated my life, my birthday.

While beside your waters, I strolled next to you the night before my Bar Exam.

While beside your waters, I watched someone I love say goodbye to someone she loved.

While beside your waters, I saw her tears enter your body as you opened your abundance to her grief.

While beside your waters, I have celebrated my father’s retirement from a career he started at an office in your financial district.

While beside your waters, I have seen my mother’s eyes shine blue.

While beside your waters, I walked arm in arm with my sister.

While beside your waters, I have witnessed my brother bravely cold call his first and current employer.

While beside your waters, I have felt peace.

While beside your waters, I have felt warmth.

While beside your waters, I felt, home.

While beside your waters, I have thanked you for healing this city.
that would not exist except for the fact that it is living and breathing,

While beside your waters.

This letter is a part of Brian Rashid’s “Love Letters to the World,” a global initiative bringing stories of hope, humanity, and travel/tourism to our world.

A huge thanks to Bradley Tusk, the sponsor of this series called, “Love Letters to New York City.” Bradley is owner of Tusk ventures and Founder of P&T Knitwear.

You can read their story, here.

If you’re a reader and would like to support my work on a one time or ongoing basis, please visit BrianRashidGlobal.com/postage.

If you’d like to partner and collaborate on a series of love letters in your organization, city or country, please write to me: connect@brianrashid.com

As always, you can follow the journey on all social media platforms @BrianRashidGlobal and read the full collection of love letters at BrianRashidGlobal.com/LoveLetters

Thank you so much for being here on what is literally my dream coming true.

Oh so true!

With Love,

Brian Rashid