Patty Shaughnessy
BA50 loves this short reflection from a contemporary about how the Marathon bombing has affected Boston…let’s continue to be Boston Strong
Today we pass the one year mark. What has changed? How have we coped with this new feeling of insecurity in our city? The questions linger. The answers don’t come easily. The fears appear and disappear. But we never forget. We never feel 100% at ease in large public gatherings (or smaller ones either).
I always look for the exit when I arrive. I am aware of who is around me. Is this a good thing? Perhaps, but it is our new reality. The country has become a different place in the last 12 years. We are no longer carefree and relaxed in and about our city. Disasters both natural and man made have always been in places far away, something we only watched on TV. A year ago it happened in our own backyard. It changed us, it changed me.
One thing that has grown and strengthened in me is compassion. Seeing how the survivors have carried on through all the challenges and setbacks that they have faced truly puts life in perspective. I truly count my blessings each day and try real hard to pass on the small stuff. Yes, I am still angry at the changes that we have had to accept but it should only makes us stronger. What are the alternatives? We can’t hide and withdraw from the world. That is not living. We can only move ahead, take a day at a time, be aware but also be open to the hope and love that is present in our lives, in our neighborhood, in our city- Boston.