My reactions to the Patriots Day bombing in Boston.

I originally had another post scheduled for today. Something lighthearted and funny. It was good too. I just didn’t feel like posting it, nor would it have been appropriate at a time like this. For those of you who know the real me, you know that I have very deep ties to the city of Boston. It’s where I went to college. It’s where I lived for a while after that. It’s where I have many dear friendships and where those friends have their families. Today they’re all hurting. My thoughts and prayers go out to all of the casualties, whether fatal or not.

I’ts getting harder and harder to understand just what’s going on in our world today. Patriots Day, along with Marathon Monday, is supposed to be a good day. It’s supposed to be a day to celebrate American values and America itself. It’s also supposed to be a day where some of the world’s finest athletes show us their best. Many of my readers, who aren’t from the Boston area or have never spent time there, might not understand the importance of yesterday’s bombing. The Boston Marathon isn’t just a race. It’s one of the more beloved traditions in one of the country’s oldest cities.

Patriots Day is an official holiday in Massachusetts. Kids don’t have to go to school, and many people don’t have to go to work. I have many fond memories of Marathon Monday from my time in Boston. Usually, it involved doing something we weren’t supposed to be doing, like drinking or breaking onto the roof of our dorm room for an ill-begotten barbecue. Many times, we’d try to watch the runners go by campus. I have friends that still do that to this day. I might still be doing it if I lived up there. Luckily for me, no one I knew was down near the finish line when the bomb went off. I know because I immediately started texting or facebook messaging everyone I know up there, as I’m sure all of you did too. Some friends were at BC, while others were closer to the finish but not quite there. Some decided to stay home today, just because.

There are a lot of people who weren’t as lucky as my friends were. Some are no longer with us, some are horribly injured. My thoughts and prayers go out to them all. I also pray for the city of Boston in general. It’s not fun not feeling safe. Hopefully the city can come together and support each other in this time of need. I know we’ll all be praying for them now.

Featured image courtesy of: Pundit Press