Thoughts on the Boston Marathon Attack

As more and more details are arising, and the false reports that circulated yesterday are being sorted from the real deal, I wanted to share my thoughts.

A lot of writers from the Boston Globe have posted their thoughts on this, and my takeaway is that Boston is a tough, strong, brave town.  I have a few friends there, and I love Boston as a town, though I’ve only been there three times.  Must change that!

Maybe it’s something about being in the trenches as a mom of children with differing disabilities that makes you so admire an article like “The surreal and the stubborn at the Marathon attack” by Farah Stockman.  The last paragraph is what you want to read, where she discusses that can’t make sure nothing like this ever happens because to do that would turn this country into a police state.  I don’t think anyone wants that.

This attack has affected my differently than 9/11 and I suppose that is in some part due to this parenting journey of mine, which has taught me a few things:

• Children are not a guarantee.  Once you grasp that, you realize that nothing in life is.
• Acceptance has a beauty of its own, but in accepting, you must not give up living.
• You need to hold on, enjoy, and be thankful for the good stuff in your life while you have it.

There is no guarantee this will not happen again.  We must accept it, but if we stop living our lives for fear of dying, we’ve already lost.  We all die, we all get hurt, it’s what we make of our living moments that count, and how we build up and recoup from tragedy.

For me and my family, we will not stop going out and participating in all the activities our towns and cities in this great country have to offer.  We’ll take our chances.  I don’t think God would want us to do anything less.