Rough Week

This has been a rough week or so for me. Boston is my home city. A friend yesterday told me that I positively glow when I talk about Boston and all the things to see and do while there. The prospect of returning someday is what keeps me going when times are tough in Connecticut.

And of all the things about Boston that I love, I love the Boston Marathon and Patriot's Day the most. For those of you not from Massachusetts, the idea of the marathon and an extra holiday is hard to explain. It is like Christmas combined with Homecoming all in the spring time. Often it is the first day I was outside in short sleeves after a long winter. Which usually meant my first sunburn of the year.

If I had to work, I would inevitably figure out a way to duck out early to go BBQ and have fun on Beacon Street with my friends while we enjoyed a beverage and cheered on the runners. There would be skewers of meat and veggies on the grills which were lit and churning out tasty treats right on the sidewalks. We always knew someone who was running and usually at least three or four people. Often they were running for a charity and we had donated so could track their progress on the course.

The marathon meant spending a relaxing day with my boyfriend then husband enjoying the sunshine and camaraderie of fellow Bostonians. And listening to the Red Sox game on the radio while we ate and watched the runners. Nothing more American than sunshine, BBQ and baseball enjoyed with friends.

So, when someone tried to destroy that, I took it a little bit hard. I was sad and angry and so very very worried during those first few hours that someone I know might have been killed or injured. All this on the heels of Newtown, only a few minutes away from my current hometown. And then it didn't matter if I knew anyone that was hurt because every single person that was hurt or worse became a friend of Boston. As a city, Boston stood up and said "NO!" An overwhelming show of support for the victims, their families and the first responders who risked their lives. The people of Boston and the surrounding communities banded together and were joined by people around the country and across the world saying "No! We aren't going to let this happen here, the birthplace of the United States."

And we didn't. And next year, I will pretend that I am still in Massachusetts and I will skip out of work on Patriot's Day and pack up my son and take him to his first Boston Marathon.