03/06/2025
The reason I didn’t get to post this weekend?
Because I was there.
At the Simula at Wakas World Tour Kickoff.
Bonding with my daughter.
Healing my inner child.
Supporting local artists who have fully captured my "mommy heart".
We came expecting to be touched and entertained — the way SB19 always does to us A’TINs.
But we walked out carrying something more than just good memories.
We walked out with pride.
With joy.
With a strange ache that feels like both longing and healing.
I laughed.
I cried.
I laughed again — then cried while laughing.
It was that kind of night.
And what moved me most?
We all came for different reasons —
To fangirl.
To heal.
To support.
To satisfy our curiosity.
To feel something again.
But once the music started…
we sang the same songs.
Felt the same goosebumps.
Held the same breath during that one lyric that meant more than we expected.
We cried in the same places.
We stood, clapped, screamed, laughed — together.
And suddenly, it didn’t matter why we came.
It mattered that we showed up.
⸻
A few reflections I’m bringing home with me:
— That sometimes, music gives words to what our hearts can’t express.
— That when artists create from a place of truth, it finds its way into people who need it.
— That it’s okay to go back to who you were — the girl with dreams, the girl who loved deeply — and offer her a seat in your life again.
— That showing up for the things that light you up… is a form of self-care.
— And that no matter what season you’re in, you’re allowed to be moved.
THAT wasn’t JUST a concert.
It was a reminder that dreams matter — and that supporting dreams matters just as much.
It was world-class.
It was healing.
It was Filipino.
It was ours.
To SB19 — thank you.
You didn’t just perform.
You gave us something we’ll carry for a long, long time.
This is my LIHAM to you:
Dear SB19,
I didn’t see it coming.
I didn’t expect to be here — this invested, this proud, this emotionally wrecked (in the best way), this… fangirl.
But here we are.
Thank you for making space for someone like me.
For reminding me that music doesn’t ask for permission.
It just enters, finds the soft parts, and stays.
To Stell — calling us your “girlfriend”? Careful. Some of us might believe you. For a while, I think I did?🤣 Whoever said "walang forever" is sooo wrong! Ikaw ang aking forever.... forever bias!
To Justin — if you ever need a “nanay” on tour, I volunteer as tribute. I’m already proud.
To Josh — yes, hubby, nagsaing na ako.
To Ken — mahal ka daw ng anak ko. Wait, ako rin pala. Or kami na ba? Ay, ano na nga ba?! You've no idea how many times I heard you sing and said "geez, that's perfect!"
And to Pablo — you were my unexpected favorite.
You had me when I first heard “Hanggang sa Huli.” That song held something I didn’t know I was carrying, and you gave it words. You’re not Pinuno for nothing.
We have songs to sing and lyrics to memorize — because you had the courage to write them. Your words? They stay. They echo. They heal. Your humility, your leadership, your talent — it’s rare.
ESBI, if there are ever moments when you question your worth or wonder if you’re truly making a difference, I hope this reaches you somehow: I am truly, deeply proud of you. Not just for what you create, but for who you are.
But beyond the playful spiels and overflowing charm,
thank you — truly — for healing something in me.
For making the little girl in me feel seen.
For reminding this grown woman that it’s okay to love loudly again.
And for giving me a beautiful way to bond with my daughter — through your music, your passion, your heart.
You weren’t just performers that night.
You were storytellers. Light-bringers.
Thank you, SB19.
For the music.
For the message.
For the warm community of A'tins.
For the memories.
You’ve reminded me — and many of us —
that it’s never too late to dream again,
to feel again,
to fangirl again.
And as for my “outer child”?
Let’s just say she’s doing just fine.
Glowing, even.
— Yssa Belle
