I often go to Boston to watch the marathon since it coincides with my April Vacation. I have great memories of watching the race with my parents when I was little. Even after we moved to the South Shore, Marathon Monday was one of the days I could count on for a trip to the city. As an adult, I loved going to the marathon for the jubilant crowds and party atmosphere. Marathon Monday is always such a time of celebration for the city of Boston.
Yesterday I decided to stay home because I have about 10 pounds of school papers to correct. I watched the winners come in around noon and then I wasn't feeling well so I took a nap. I woke up around 2:45 and texted JO to let him know that I wasn't feeling well. He wrote back telling me he would bring me chicken soup and I responded with, "There's been an explosion at the finish line." At this point I thought it was probably a man hole explosion or a transformer explosion but then I saw a picture on Facebook and I knew it was much worse.
The next few minutes were chaos as I tried to figure out what was going on. The news was reporting on two explosions. We had several friends who were running or spectating and this was about the time they might be finishing. JO's parents had said they were going to go in and watch the marathon. Immediately, I called my father to tell him I was safe and when I heard his voice I burst into tears. My city was under attack.
Over the next few hours we were lucky to find out that everyone was accounted for. It's pretty surreal to have to text your friends to make sure they are uninjured and safe. It's pretty surreal to scroll through your contacts to figure out who might have been in Boston at the time of the explosions. It's pretty surreal to read the CNN blog only to find a picture of a friend who was running the marathon. It's pretty surreal to think a street I walk down all the time is forever changed, the site of death and destruction.
Although the majority of the news yesterday was heart wrenching and depressing I will take solace in the stories of kindness and bravery: former Patriot Joe Andruzzi rushing to the aid of an injured woman, neighborhoods full of people passing out chips and trash bags to runners who were stopped before the finish line and needed warmth and salt, doctors and nurses who ran in the race and rushed to help the injured on the streets, people who are opening their homes for stranded runners, runners who kept running to hospitals to donate blood. This is what I will take away from this tragedy. In the worst of times you see the best humanity has to offer.
It's really a strange feeling when something like this happens in your city, the city you live in. I always get sucked in to coverage of these major events, I can't help it. But now that coverage I'm watching is happening a few miles from me. This is really real. This is my city! My happy place! And some horrible person tried to take it away.
I am still stunned and shocked that this is happening in my city. I cannot even begin to process the events of yesterday. I don't know how I will sleep tonight and I don't know what it will be like tomorrow to walk around the city. But I won't stop living the city life, enjoying the city I love, because when we live in fear they have won. They will never win... Boston is too strong, too proud, and filled with too many amazing people to not come back from this!
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