Monday

I had planned out a different post for today, but I don’t think that it’s appropriate.

There are a lot of things that I don’t understand about the world. I don’t understand how there can be indescribably terrible cruelty and pain out in the world. I don’t understand how a family who came to watch the Boston marathon will have to learn how to live without their eight-year-old son.

It seems like every time I look up, there is something tragic on the news. Sometimes it’s large scale, sometimes its small. Sometimes it’s here, and sometimes it’s out of sight in the Middle East, or Africa, or somewhere I’ve never even heard of. But it’s somewhere. Someone’s family. Someone’s friends.

Boston is one of my favourite cities in the world. It is beautiful, vibrant, and full of love. There’s so much to do and see, but in the coming months people will see it as a place of heartbreak. I hate seeing places and people reduced to a pitiable thing.

I’ve thought a lot today about why people would do something like this, and I can’t come up with an answer. I don’t think there is one. People from over 90 countries participate in this event, so it is not a purely American loss either. My eldest brother runs marathons. I know the time and dedication he puts into running. Planning for the Boston marathon takes months, years. In my mind I can just see a street full of runners just like him, working for months to do this wonderful thing, bringing runners together from all across the world. It’s terrible. It makes my heart ache.

When bad things happen, it’s easy to feel helpless. It’s so far away, there isn’t anything you can do. Wrong! There’s lots to do.

Donate blood. Yeah, having a needle stuck in your arm for half an hour is frankly shit. You should still do it as much as you can. One of the most inspiring things about this marathon was runners diverting course to go donate blood after the explosion. They knew it would be needed. Yours is needed by someone.

Do what you love. It’s easy to get scared. We shouldn’t change how we act and how we do the things that bring us joy because of a catastrophe. If we do that, then all the bad people have won. Walk without fear. Run a new marathon. Don’t let them win.

Be good. Be the opposite of those people who want to bring the world down. When things get dark, you be the light. Be the change you wish to see in the world.

If anything can be said, it’s that we are brought together by this. President Obama put it best when he said "On days like this there are no Republicans or Democrats—we are Americans, united in concern for our fellow citizens." It’s easy to forget how similar we all are until days like this, and it’s a shame that we have to be reminded that we are together in all of this.

I’ll leave you with the words of Mr. Fred Rogers, one of my personal icons:

My heart goes out to those affected by the Boston Marathon disaster. Thousands will be keeping you in their prayers. Stay safe and be well.