BostonStrong

it's raining now, and 5am, but it's finally peaceful. since I'm up I might as well think out loud. yesterday was one of the most intense roller coaster rides I have ever lived through. I've only lived in Boston for 3 weeks and since I've been here craziness has been happening. marathon monday was earlier this week, a day celebrated by not just Bostonians, and not just by America, but pretty much by every country that likes to run. people dedicate years of their lives to train for this race, most of the time for a cause bigger than their selves. people run for cancer, for loved ones who are now gone, to raise money for charities, sometimes pushing wheelchairs the whole 26.2 miles. it's a day of inspiration, good clean family fun, and to celebrate Patriot's Day in our historic city. I was really bummed that I couldn't go witness this event my first year here as I had to nanny that day. and that's when I heard the reports of bombs going off at the finish line. 3 people were dead, 170+ were badly injured, some loosing both their legs in the explosions. people were panicking, cell towers were down as police tried to control the situation, not wanting another bomb to be triggered electronically if that was the case. no one could call. texts came pouring in with rumors of other bombs, a fire was blazing at a nearby library, transportation was shut down. Chris and I had plans to go into Boston that night but spent the evening watching the news instead.

in the days that followed we watched as our law enforcement tried everything they could to put the pieces together, to try to find the ones that caused so much damage and fear to spread through the city. friday morning I woke up to the news: we had the faces of 2 suspects and a full-on manhunt was underway. a convenient store robbery had tipped off the police and a shootout had left one officer dead, one in critical condition, and several wounded. one suspect was killed in the exchange of fire, but suspect #2 had escaped. armed and dangerous. the entire city was in lockdown. public transportation was closed, Logan Airport was closed, taxi service was suspended and people were told to shut down businesses and lock their doors. we sat glued to the TV for hours - watching as Boston police, SWAT teams, and the FBI combed the streets for Dzhokhar Tsamaev, a 19 year old boy from Kyrgyzstan - the younger brother of Tamerlan, suspect #1, who was now dead. 

I couldn't go to work. no one could do anything. tension was high and all we could do was wait and watch the scene unfold, just 2.5 miles from our house. it was a long day to say the least. late in the evening it didn't seem that any headway was made and the stay-inside restriction was lifted. within half an hour all hell erupted again as a neighbor in Watertown looked into her backyard and informed 911 she thought the suspect might be hiding in her boat. within minutes the scene was surrounded by officials, and after a very tense hour of negotiations they had him, badly wounded, but alive and in custody. 

you could feel the whole city, maybe the whole country, let out a huge sigh of relief. we joined the neighbors for a celebratory group hug on the street and then walked in some precious fresh air to Porter Square for some dinner and drinks. everyone was out, smiling, relieved. we high-fived our waitress and shouted "go Boston, go America!" to strangers on the street. we had all been through a little piece of hell that week, and now was the time to celebrate! 

it all is a lot to process - sitting here now in this stillness. it would have been so easy for me to have been at the finish line last monday, so easy for the situation to have been far worse, as awful as it was. my heart swells with pride now recalling how our men-in-arms put themselves in harms way to catch these terrorists, how the whole city pulled together and worked together to overcome tragedy and in the end, triumph over evil. I am proud to be surrounded by these brave people, proud to be an American, and yes - though it only be 3 weeks, proud to be a Bostonian. 

but my thankfulness first, and mostly, goes to God - who is always sovereign and always in control. I pray for peace and comfort for those still suffering the worst from this time - in loss of family members, limbs, and peace of mind. I thank Him that the worst is over and we can begin to sort through all of this. thankful certain bombs did not go off as intended. thankful for Sean Collier, the MIT officer who gave his life in pursuit of justice and freedom from terror. I sit here slightly overwhelmed, saddened, yet thankful. 

may God be praised this saturday morning, and may God bless America.