January 20, 2019
Dear Naser,
New friend, hello! I’m grateful for the way our paths have crossed, here in the Central Valley, by way of all the places we’ve lived and traveled: from Colorado to Chicago to Santa Fe. Grateful for cabin card playing nights and dinner with the dogs, photo portrait shoots, and nights in the Tower—those life moments making friendship possible. You and your beloved, Akiko, bring such joy to our community; I’m blessed to witness to your unfolding love.
Having returned to Fresno after many years—decades—away, I’m ever-struck by the rich network of community here, something I missed in SF, in NYC. Your brother and his wife, Reza and Sukaina, have worked closely with Yonsei Memory Project; my mother and Akiko collaborate often through church work; now, with Dave here, the four of us are forging friend-roots of our own. Layers of life and story, rhizomatic connections—surprising, yet seemingly inevitable. I wonder how our lives will look in one year; in five; in a decade. These letters perhaps mark a moment on the brink of some subtle, coming transformation.
Tell me how you are in the new year, Naser—what awaits you? What questions are alive for you—in your work, your community, your connections? Thank you for lending your voice to the tapestry here; I am happy to know you, grateful for your willingness to share.
With love,
Brynn