Boston After the Tragedy: A Courageous Community

For all of us Bostonians, Boston doesn’t look the same after the tragic and horrific event on Marathon Monday. It seems like we're going to think twice about doing anything, from going to the movies, out to eat, watching a live sporting event and enjoying the ongoing activities of city life. It is a sad wake up call that life, whether we like it or not, cannot be taken for granted anymore.

I remember how exhilarating it was watching the Boston Marathon with my husband and two children year after year as they were growing up. It was incredible to watch the dedicated runners and their hard work and long training hours paying off and seeing their big smile and sense of accomplishment as they crossed the finish line. Those were joyous memories made at this historic event.

This year, there were families like us who went to watch and cheer these dedicated athletes - most of whom were running for a charitable, humanitarian cause, and some ended up dead or injured for life. The shock of the event is un-describable and senseless. How sad it is to see our society and lives disintegrating and diminishing to the point of living in fear.

The day after the tragedy, Boston looked like a war zone with police cars, armed officers and members of the FBI and media everywhere on Boylston Street along the route of the Marathon. The heart of the Back Bay was cordoned off and residential towers and businesses were evacuated and remain empty to this day. The smiles from people’s faces had disappeared and were replaced by a sense of shock and disbelief. We all came across someone we knew who was touched by this horrific act - Boston is a close knit community and we are a very loyal people. If you hurt one of us, you impact all of us. The mood continues to be somber and morose and every conversation comes back to “why?”…Hopefully our questions will be answered in the next few days.

My only consolation is that we will survive this and be a stronger community for it. There are so many strong souls that call Boston home, and I'm proud to be one of them.