The Boston Marathon: Worthy of Celebration

(Picture source)

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, "Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping." To this day, especially in times of "disaster," I remember my mother's words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world." --Mr. Rogers

I read up on the history of the Boston Marathon so I could get a better understanding of the weight of all this.  What I learned was--this race is a place of celebration. The qualifying standards for people to even be able to participate in it are very high--an accomplishment worthy of celebration. It has become an international event, bringing people together from all over the world to participate in the universal gift of running--a gathering worthy of celebration. The event has a tradition of including a wheelchair division, a blind/visually impaired division, and a mobility impaired program-- a tradition worthy of celebration. 

So, as the stories unfolded and we found out about the carnage done in this beautiful piece of humanity, my stomach got weak, my heart sank, and my mind raced as I grieved for the world that my children will grow up in. That there are evil people, willing to do heinous things on precious soil.

But, at some point during the day, I looked a little closer. I looked at the first responders, thought of those on the ground who ran towards the chaos with little time to worry about themselves. The police officers and firefighters, the doctors and nurses at the hospitals, the strangers helping strangers on the streets and in the crowds.

When you leaned in quietly and looked close, a place of chaos was dazzling with beauty.

There is still good.

And that good--that good,

 is worthy of celebration.