"On ne voit bien qu'avec le Cœur."

Good timing on my part I booked an appointment with her today right after I went to see Harry for the final show of LOT in Reggio Emilia. And of course Harry Instagram posts had me in tears in her office.

Let me tell you I was ugly crying and smiling and laughing at the same time because I was feeling that deep sadness but also the wonder and magic that is LOT. So when she asked me why I was so affected I proceeded to tell her about my experiences on LOT.

How thanks to his music, I got out of my comfort zone and travelled the world to see Harry. Me, a usually scared of everything grown ass woman.

I told her about the time some girls taught me the boot scoot for the first time in NY. How, despite the fact that I was alone, people made space for me, always.

I told her about that time I laid on the ground with a lot of other girls listening to and being healed by Matilda and holding their hands in Amsterdam. I told her how I took a complete stranger into my arms because she was feeling overwhelmed during Fine Line.

I told her about going crazy during Sattelite, I told her about the conga line during TPWK. I told her about the coming outs and how safe I was feeling

I told her about the crazing energy in Paris, the fan project in Vienna, dancing the Macarena during Watermelon Sugar in Frankfurt

I told her about how felt more and more confident and I made my own shirt for the final show. And how a girl came up to me saying she loved my outfit and gifted me with a friendship bracelet.

I told her how I felt like home in those concerts

This, in a nutshell is LOT.

But, I said, now it’s over? Now what?

She smiled and said:

But is it really over? Or is it the opportunity to keep going?

It seems, she said, that he was a mentor showing you the way, holding your hand so you could feel accepted and seen through those concerts. But those feelings, she added, they are not gone because the concerts stopped. Those feelings of acceptance, of love, of kindness they are still here. They don’t have to stop because the concerts stopped.

Maybe, she said, those are not harsh goodbyes but rather a sweet way of letting go of his hand so you could go out there and apply everything you’ve seen and experienced to the world. The opportunity to actively seek the happiness you crave using everything you’ve leaned through Love On Tour and move forward.

She was right, wasn’t she? Isn’t that a beautiful message? Wasn’t that the point of Harry’s whole speech Saturday?

So thank you Harry for your art and the messages you spread. Thank you Harries for you acceptance and kindness.

Let’s keep spreading that message.

And maybe when and if the time is right we’ll have the opportunity to teach new people old and new traditions, we’ll have the opportunity to welcome them and embrace them. Making them feel safe and seen.