Healing

We're all trying to move on from the events last week and start to heal.  Things are less surreal now, though just as heartbreaking.  I keep thinking about how lucky I am to not be directly effected by the events and to not have to explain to my kids what happened.  We live a few blocks away from the funeral home that is holding the wake for one of the victims, and yesterday the area was lined with police cars and helicopters to protect the family and friends from potential (promised) protests from the Westboro Baptist Church.  I can still get away with not being truthful when Sam asks about all the activity.  Today, I drove past the funeral home, as they were preparing to leave for the church, with Vivian in the car, my heart heavy, her sleeping obliviously.

Funeral article link

Friday was horrible and tense as waves of news kept us glued to the TVs, poor journalism, and misinformation; as the police searched for the suspect after an MIT police officer was killed, another wounded and a chase ensued through Cambridge and Watertown.  Communities were on lockdown, with Davis Square and other urban areas being ghost towns, while next door Medford had minimal traffic.  I went to a grocery store in Chelsea which was open, and in the same plaza, TJ Maxx and RadioShack were closed.  My mother couldn't get to New York with Amtrak, the T, and buses being down.  Of course there are connections everywhere, in this small city, and Tess knew the officer who was killed.

My coworkers had to endure their homes being searched by SWAT team members and to take cover during the gunfights and manhunt in Watertown.  Everyone returned to school today with counseling services on hand, to support each other and the students through the hopeful return to routine and normalcy.  On Friday, I watched on the news as neighborhoods I am familiar with, were combed for explosives, the suspect, and lined with law enforcement in military vehicles.  Social media actually became a source of comfort and reassurance as friends updated their statuses and let us know they were okay, some providing much needed humor (not to make light of the situation).


"Omg there's a swat team in my house right now!!!!!"

(and my message to her & response:  
me: "I hope there were some hot guys"
her:  "Thanks for the good laugh. They were literally hot and sweating poor guys. Most were older, but a couple were good looking ")

"We are becoming way too familiar with our living room rug today!"

"Huffingtonpost interview shows our Swifer was in the shot!"

"The swat guys were super cool and friendly. They declined a group photo. One of them said, "its still pretty dangerous" to me. You know I had to try."

There were some scary images and statuses also, but I will refrain from sharing those.A few that were taken in the thick of things by friends in the neighborhood:




 And that have been circulating:   



A police officer delivers milk to family with young children who were on lockdown in Watertown.



The Make Way for Ducklings Statues in Boston.



And of course, moments like this, David Ortiz speaking at Fenway Park on April 20.

Big Papi at Fenway link


Now the suspect is in the same hospital as those who were injured in the initial bombing.  The same hospital that Vivian was born in less than two months ago.

Chris and I went down to Newbury Street yesterday, without the kids, to walk around the galleries and get out of the house.  Newbury runs parallel to Bolyston, which is still an active crime scene.  People were everywhere and the cherry blossoms and Magnolia trees were in bloom.  On the corner of Newbury Street, people sat eating lunch outside at Stephanie's.  Next to them where Newbury and Exeter St meet, metal barriers blocked the crime scene and memorials lay.  Bolyston is still littered with blown out windows and the same mangled barriers that first responders pulled aside and leapt over.  The Bolyston blocks and intersecting streets are silent and deserted, other than the crowds paying their respects and officers guarding the area, and the forensic teams dressed in all white, combing through the area.  It's eery and heartbreaking.  Large bomb squad vehicles are parked throughout and news crews are still filming.  The next block is lively and crowded and signs of spring are everywhere.  H & M has the Newbury St entrance open and the adjoining entrance onto Clarendon is locked with the investigation in full force outside.

Now we move on, as the suspect at Beth Israel hospital is beginning to communicate and victims are laid to rest.  People are coming together to mourn and hold vigils and runs, and find some peace.  The great political repercussions have yet to be seen with immigration and Miranda rights hitting the forefront of the discussions.
We have to cherish what we have, the communities we live in, and the way tragedies bring us together, and hope not to have to explain this type of thing to our children, ever.

This is a little overdone, but a  recap of both the events, Boston community, and spirit.
Below is a link to the Opening ceremony at Fenway Park on April 20.

Fenway 4/20 Opening Ceremony