My sister said something on Facebook today that made my heart hurt for you all the more: "my heart goes out to all theBoston runners. It feels so personal to me as not only is Boston like my second home, but as a runner i can only imagine how terrible it must feel to have trained for something so hard and asked to much of yourself physically and mentally only to have your heart ripped out at the end of it..."
I see tragedies like this, Sandy Hook, 911, Columbine, other school and mall and public murders. And it becomes so easy to despair and wonder "what is this world coming to?". "why so much evil?" and despair more deeply when I consider my son, my good sweet innocent boy growing up in this world of heartless cruelty and senseless violence. He deserves better.
We watched reels of the bombing today repeated over and over tonight. I see the plume of smoke. The runner who collapses after being hit with shrapnel. The fear in people's eyes.
Yet that is not all I see. In the midst of this tragedy, where evil wishes to obfuscate and confuse us and create fear, I see, if I look a little harder, away from cowardly act... I see real humanity. I see the majority of us.
I see first responders running into the chaos. I see people who flew hundreds of miles to cheer on friends also helping complete strangers next to them. I see champions who trained for months who may or may not finish crying and praying for the fallen. I see people around me holding their babies a little bit closer. I know of others who will run to honor those affected by this tragedy. I see people on Facebook sending out positive thoughts and prayers and vibes. I see medical personnel who will work a little bit later tonight, beyond their shifts end, to care for the extra rush and need of the survivors. I see volunteer counselors who are already booking their flights out to help those traumatized.
I see tens of thousands of good people sticking it to the one or two dark hearts who perpetrated this.
This darkness is pretty dark. But the light of goodness, if we choose to see it and honor it can outshine anything
Oh Boston. I cannot help to find it ironic that they chose your beautiful streets. For your streets are no stranger to tyranny to war, to oppression. Your alleyways and storefronts and ambiance hold a depth of knowledge of what hope and goodness and wanting better for your children means. I felt it once wandering your streets myself. The Old State House screams it.
Those who have fallen will be counted heroes. As are those who stand with them. You are strong. You are shining.
Boston and all of those affected, you are in my heart, my thoughts, my prayers. You are not alone.
" when I despair, I remember that through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible. But in the end, they always fall. Think of it, always. " - Gandhi
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