A week ago today I awoke to
a beautifully clear and cool spring day.
A week ago today, I headed
into Boston to my hospital, Mass General Hospital, with my parents (who have
become my partners in crime with all these medical visits the past year) for my
3:00 p.m. echocardiogram.
A week ago today was
Patriot’s Day in Boston
and the Boston Marathon – a happy, spring holiday and tradition.
A week ago today thousands
of lives changed beginning at 2:50 p.m……
Who would have known when I
entered those hospital doors that a mere two hours later, we would be leaving
both swiftly and with stunned confusion amidst Boston Police, hospital
security, television news crews. Escaping my city – my beloved Boston because we had no
idea whether more explosions were to follow.
Out the same building that
innocent victims to a senseless violence would then be entering.
Leaving a building that
runners were now racing to help and offer blood to their own.
A week ago today thousands
of people awoke to a beautifully clear and cool spring day to run a Marathon for which they had trained, dreamed, planned…
A week ago today thousands
of people planned their day around celebrating a tradition, cheering on a
family member or friend, enjoying a day off, waiting at a finish line….
A week ago today, anyone
who needed their faith restored in humanity saw it even amongst the rubble of
sick, twisted, violent minds because love and unselfishness and courage shone
brightly through and beyond hate and acrid smoke.
A week ago today lives
ended, hearts broke, sleepless nights began but also a week ago today people
faced fear and shock and destruction with immense strength and grace.
So yes, a week ago today, a
horrific event happened at the Boston Marathon, and though it’s very hard to
wrap one’s head around it, I am emotionally overcome with the stories of
bravery and of people who ran toward the danger to help others in need. No one
knew if more explosions were to follow but that didn’t deter them from doing
what they could; and this isn’t just about Bostonians – there were people from
all over the world at this event. This was about humans helping humans. This
was also about medical staff, first responders, police, firefighters, EMTs who
have to push aside the shock and do what they’re trained to do. I am also
incredibly affected by the generosity and care extended from people here in New
England as well as across the United
States and the world. Each day I’ve cried
tears of shock and sadness or on the good side, tears from an overwhelming
touched heart. And though the pain for multitudes is so deep that I wouldn’t
dare try to stitch up a nicely woven conclusion with even the most exquisite of
words, I need to believe that the events of a week ago today are going to
somehow beget a light that will lead to overcoming. Overcoming the results of
hatred with the light of selflessness and unconditional love.
