Heavy Hearts

My heart is heavy.  So very heavy.  I do not understand what happened in my home town on Monday. I’ve seen the horrific footage of the Boston Marathon over and over again.  I watch runners so near the finish lines with smiles on their faces and that pop and plume of smoke.  Each time I shutter as if seeing it again for the first time.  How could this happen here?

Like so many friends and family, Boston is my city.  Although we don’t live in the city itself, we are just 30 miles away on Boston’s South Shore in Scituate.  I grew up on the North Shore and have such fond memories of the city.  I remember my whole 5th grade going to see the Sox so we could sing the the national anthem, my dad by my side.  I remember gliding on the swan boats and feeding the ducks peanuts.  Newbury Street, Boston’s version of the Champs Elysee, was a favorite destination with my mom for window shopping and lunch.  The Pops at Christmas, Bruins games, The Grateful Dead concert, Hard Rock Cafe after prom, The Walk for Hunger.  This one city holds so many wonderful memories for me, like bringing our baby to Boston for the first time:

We go to Boston a lot with the kids.  We love taking them to the museums, to open markets and have fun trying all the different food trucks. Our children love trips to the city.  They love the train ride in or the ferry from Hingham, both allow an adventure in the journey.  There is so much to do and see.  The tall skycrapers, so cosmopolitan and soaring, compared to our seaside town’s small cedar shingled buildings. 

I am so angry about what has happened.  My heart aches for all those who were hurt and killed. All the families.  I keep thinking about all the families who went to cheer on friends or loved ones as they finished the marathon.  How such a happy and festive event turned to horror.

I struggled to tell my 7 year old what happened, but I focused on the words of Mr. Rogers.  I told my son that someone did something very horrible to hurt people, but there were so many good people who were there to help those who were hurt.  The first responders, runners, reporters, police, doctors, nurses were all there to help those who needed them.  

In a way I feel like a bit of my innocence is gone.  My idea of what is impossible has been shattered once again.  My heart is as heavy as it was on December 14, 2012 with the Sandy Hook Tragedy and on 9/11 twelve years ago.

Please let our children grow up in a safe world.  Please let this hate and violence end.

If you are also trying to understand this or if you’d like to help; Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Tom Menino have announced the formation of The One Fund Boston, Inc. to help the people most affected by the tragic events that occurred in Boston on April 15, 2013.