This week...

On Monday, I flew into Boston from Atlanta at 10 AM, exhausted from a great weekend, celebrating one of my best friend's bridal shower.  I left at 5AM that morning, so by the time I rolled through the door, I needed a shower and a nap.  Before the 2 hour nap, Paul asked "you want to go to the Marathon for a little bit?"

"No way"

If it had not been for a tiring weekend, I would have been at the finish line with bells on.  Marathon Monday is a great day for Bostonians and it falls on Patriot's Day, where other areas of town celebrate our past patriots.  Little did we know that it was a day for making them as well.

The thing I will always remember about these events will be the sirens.  It seemed that when the bombs went off and when the shooting occurred, every ambulance and police car sounded off.  It was confusing and surreal to be in that kind of environment.  Never once have I felt unsafe in my city, and then suddenly it was a war zone.  And after all that has happened, I still feel safe.  Because I believe that this city works hard to defend justice and protect it's people.  Boston demonstrated that this week.

I'll also never forget where I was and how I felt.  When the bombs went off, Paul and I immediately went to the roof top to look at the helicopters.  We were so confused and unsure of what to do.  Who did this? Why?  When that MIT police officer was killed, Paul and I left MIT not 15 minutes earlier.  When the the sirens rang out and MIT sent text messages alerting us of a shooter, we were back on that roof, worried for our friends that we left behind.  On Friday's lockdown, I was on the roof top again, watching, and sending those police officers my thoughts.  When they found suspect #2 in the boat, Paul and I sat on our little couch on the edge of our seats, listening, waiting, watching.  When they caught him, we were on the roof top, and I gave a whoop of joy as someone down on the street clapped.  We watched everything happen from the roof top and did not feel alone in our feelings.  Because all of Boston felt them as well.

MIT

I am so proud to call Boston my home.  You thought I loved it before?  You don't even know.  It's truly shown me how great it is.  What it really is, is the people.  "What is the city, but the people?" (Coriolanus...saw it on the Boston Common!).  Bostonians are brash, tough, and are friendly if you sit next to one and if you say the wrong thing, you probably will get some nasty words your way.

Yet, what transpired on Monday-Friday showed the character of these people.  I won't show many pictures in this post, because most are gruesome, but have you heard of a terrible event where people were TURNED AWAY from blood banks because they were already well stocked?  3 dead and over 150 people were injured and the hospitals said "no thanks".  Amazing.  Another guy CARRIED THE ARTERY of a man's whose legs were blown off and saved that man's life.  Who does that?  Saints.  These hospitals? Best in the country and probably the world.  There would have been a whole lot more deaths if the bombs weren't 1 mile away from MGH, #1 hospital in the US.   The police shut down the city to catch these two murderers!  SHUT IT DOWN!  Even though a lot of the time it seemed that they had no clue where these guys were, the police said "you will not harm any more people", took the initiative to keep God knows how many people inside, and proceeded to have the biggest manhunt.  Because Bostonians are stubborn and will win.  What happened after the guy was caught?  People went to the Boston Common, the place of the people, and cheered "USA" and thanked police officers.  This city has spirit and heart and I love it.

For the fallen officer on MIT's campus

Walked past Copley Square to find this.

Our families and friends from around the world, thank you for your thoughts and prayers.  You were also the 2nd wonder of this week.  Why?  Because you stood by this great city.  Because Boston's struggles were your struggles.  Our welfare was your's as well and that was truly wonderful to see.  Thank you for all the help and love.

I know this post is a wee bit emotional, but I wanted to write something to memorialize this week.  Although 9/11 happened in my lifetime, I was too young to understand it.  Now, I do, even though it's not quite the same or as large a scale.  Seeing my town getting hurt, hurt me.  When this portion of the blog goes into a little book I will make, I want to see and remember that I was here.  And not forget that even though there is evil in this world, there is also so much more good.  Like Mr. Rogers said "Look for the helpers."

Watch this and see if it doesn't move you

I get sniffly when I watch it.

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