I had been planning to post a blog yesterday in celebration of the Boston Marathon. It was supposed to be about Uta and her namesake, Uta Pippig, the three time Boston Marathon champ. We started the day with excitement and a quick run, then settled in to watch the marathon on TV.
Most years we actually travel into Boston to watch the marathon, and we had been planning on bringing Uta in to watch the famous race in person. But Uta was sick most of this week, and along with the stress of several trips to the vet, Nate & I were exhausted. We decided that you can see more of the race by watching the coverage on TV anyway, so we cuddled up on the couch and cheered on our favorite runners.
It was a beautiful spring day, with lots of sunshine and bluebird skies. We were so thankful to have the day off from work to enjoy one of our favorite races. Sadly, the joy and excitement of the day was taken away in an instant.
I am still numb from the bombings in Boston. Sports are supposed to be about peace. The pinnacle of sport, the Olympics, was specifically designed to be a time when countries laid down their arms, set aside their differences, and physically competed against one another for the simple joy and glory of sport. The Boston Marathon is the oldest and one of the best loved marathons in the world. Year after year, it brings together hundreds of thousands of people from around the country and the world to test their bodies against the distance of the marathon.
Moreover, Boston, more than any other marathon, is full of "charity" runners who raise countless dollars for their respective charities. There is not a single negative aspect I can think of regarding the marathon. It brings people and countries together. It raises money for people and causes that need it. It encourages people to lead a healthy lifestyle. How and why would anyone want to harm or hurt that?
The runners...the spectators and children cheering on their families and friends...my heart breaks thinking of them. They were all at the Boston Marathon with positive intentions; to bring messages of love and support for their loved ones running, to put months of training to work and test their bodies against the clock, to raise money for charity. How dare someone try to take that away.
When tragedies like this happen, what upsets me the most is how innocent the victims were. They weren't being reckless and putting themselves in harm's way, tempting fate. Rather, they were living their lives and evil interfered. I cannot wrap my head around it and every time I try my eyes well up. An eight year old child shouldn't die because he's cheering on his father as he finishes the Boston Marathon. I cannot think of anything more wrong and backwards. I cannot think of anything more upsetting.
Mr. Rogers once said to "look for the helpers" when tragedy strikes. They are the people who rush in to help during the darkest hour. The people who ran towards the explosions, tore down the barricades separating the runners and spectators, and tended to the injured; the medical professionals who, after running a marathon, ran to those injured and offered help; the doctors and nurses who are working overtime without rest to help those who are now hospitalized; the countless individuals who are donating money to the families affected by this tragedy.
Tragedy won't destroy us; it will bring us together and make us stronger. I keep telling myself this today as my heart breaks with every breath for my running community and all the wonderful people whose lives changed forever yesterday. May God bless Boston.
