My 11 year old son came home from school Monday afternoon and noticed that I seemed on edge, worried and uneasy. When I told him what had happened at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, near where my friends had been racing and observing, he was shocked. “Why would someone do that? It doesn’t make sense!” I watched him try to wrap his brain around the why…why would someone intentionally do something like this? Finally, unable to come to grips with such such senseless acts of violence, he said, “Mom, I don’t think you need to worry. I’m sure the explosion was just from an oil spill or something.”
I wish, my friends, that we could all know that kind of innocence again. Where things like someone intentionally blowing up fellow humans for no reason, was so far out of reach to be true. I wish it wasn’t our reality.
I have some really great recipes I want to share with you, but I just can’t. I get so wrapped up in things like this…seeing the unfathomable take place to innocent people. It’s just too much and I can’t pretend it’s not happening.
In the meantime, I ask that you please give as much attention to the victims of this horrible crime as we are to the suspects. Sean Collier, Krystle Campbell, Martin Richard, and Lingzi Lu…they are whose names we need to remember in the coming months and years. We owe it to them. In addition, there are victims who still have their lives, but who have lost so much. Please remember to keep them in your prayers.
What happened in Boston is the act of two monsters..Their ethnicity, place of birth, etc. does not matter.The broad brush being used right now in media is sick. They are monsters… nothing else. God bless our protectors, who are risking their lives at this time to keep Boston safe.
Thanks for reading… I know this isn’t a normal Dine & Dish type post, but as a space to clear my mind, I had to get some of this off my chest.
Boston, stay strong. We’re praying for you.
People very often chalk innocence as being a bad thing, but you’re right. Not that I think there is any good reason for someone to do such a thing, but I wish we lived in a world that we could not grasp it even happening.
It’s hard to go back once that innocence is broken.
You wrote what has been on my mind all day long.
It has been on mine for awhile too… finally had to just get it out! Thanks for reading, Cassie.
This is beautiful.
Thank you 🙂
Thank you, particularly, for saying that about not using the bombers’ ethnicity or religion as a brush to paint others with – hearing an interviewer ask these men’s formidable uncle what their religion was just made me so angry. Why does it matter? Unless they’ve positioned this as a religious statement, which they did not, that’s just LOOKING for something to be prejudiced about.
Everyone here appreciates the overwhelming support from you and friends like you all over the country and the world – I’m speaking for myself, but I don’t think it’s a stretch.
This is a beautifully written post. We will never be able to understand how people can do these things. It is so hard to accept that this is the world we live in.
My husband and daughter are running the OKC Memorial Runs next weekend, so this act really hit home for us.
I’m so glad you see the value in trying to keep the innocence of children alive…that innocence is so fragile and fleeting.
On a rather dismal note, though, isn’t it a sad comment on our culture that an 11 year old would consider an oil spill nothing scary. 🙁
Tears. That is all I have right now. No words. Just tears.
Thanks for this post. A week later and I still can’t believe it happened. But it’s so true that Boston is a strong city and it’s been amazing to see everyone come together during this time. There’s definitely still a lot to get through, but we can do it!