Something I don’t normally do, but in the name of progress and honesty, I wanted to reach out...
taylorswift -- I'm not sure if you'll ever see this, but I wanted to let you know how much your music has meant to me over the years. In high school and college, it not only helped me through breakups, but it helped me through both of my parents' having cancer. When I was a senior in high school, my mom was going through chemo for breast cancer after a double mastectomy, we managed to come to one of your shows in Cincinnati and it was one of the few happy times during that period of my life. Your music and your spirit means so much to us. Most recently, it helped my former fiancé and I cope with his hospitalizations for severe bipolar disorder. We were supposed to get married on September 5 and go to one of your Columbus shows together, but a week before the wedding, he went off of his medication and he called off the wedding. Listening to 1989 -- especially Clean -- has been so therapeutic during this time. I have never felt so much pain in my life, but listening to your records has helped ease it. My mom and I hope to come to your show in Lexington in October -- with the expenses of the wedding, I am saving every penny to try and make this happen. I know your mom is going through her own journey with cancer, and I want you to know that you have been in my thoughts and prayers since you shared that with us -- my mom's too. My cousin and maid of honor recently moved to New York with her husband, so instead of taking a honeymoon since those dreams were dashed, my mom and I went to visit and spent time wandering the city with two people we love. I was able to find hope there. I wanted you to know how much you mean to me, and how much hope you bring even in the darkest of times. Your light is infectious, and I wanted to thank you for that. Your music gives me strength, and I cannot even begin to tell you how much that means to me. Thank you for your vulnerability, as it has helped me better express my own, and for your words -- they are the first thing that helped me get out of bed after the most recent series of unfortunate events, and ultimately, it is helping me heal. Just thank you. I hope to see you in October.
So much love, Holly