Heart banners - they hang from flood damaged windows in Lismore and drape across the facades of empty buildings. They once symbolised "we are open", but they don't say that now.
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Some businesses are open and more will follow in days and weeks to come, but for the woman behind some of the banners, more than ever, they mean "we are in this together".
Rebecca Ryan lost two businesses in the February 28 flood - the Curious Kookaburra on Keen St and creative workshop business Creatory.
Rebecca said there had been a turmoil of emotions since the floods hit. She's been shocked, angry, depressed, and even left the the town - but when she came home, she knew she couldn't be everywhere and do everything, so she just started sewing - and thus, Love for Lismore (and surrounds) Heart Banners was created.
Hearts have long been a part of Lismore's branding with the Come to the Heart campaign, and heart banners were seen after the 2017 floods as businesses welcomed people back to the CBD.
But now, Rebecca said it has evolved to mean something else.
"In the beginning, for me personally, it was a sign of compassion and kindness that 'I'm here with you, I feel what you feel, I see what you see, and I'm here with you'," Rebecca said.
"Now, because we're almost three months later, and 1000 banners later and numerous volunteers later, we're having this movement. Now it's more a sign of compassion and hope, and recognition that we've still got a long way to go, but we're still here."
The heart banners even took centre stage at Lismore's flood relief concert, One From the Heart.
All of the artists performing at the concert took home a little piece of Lismore when the left, each receiving their own heart banner as a thankyou.
But, there was a special one for Jon Stevens, who Rebecca has been a huge fan of from a young age. It was a special highlight in the dark few weeks to be able to give it to him personally.
"He hugged me and I nearly had a heart attack," she said.
She said artists, music executives and media visiting the town for the concert expressed their shock at the devastation and the long path ahead to recovery, and that, she said was validating.
"Unless you see it, you don't understand the enormity of it," she said. "And they got it."
Looking out over the crowd, taking it all in and watching the heart banners flying, Rebecca said she had a special moment when Jon Stevens sang INXS' Never Tear Us Apart.
"This flood has physically torn this town apart, but nothing can tear our community apart, it can't."
Volunteers are always welcome, as are materials - cloth and thread. If you can help, go to the group's Facebook page for more information.
