The Things We Never Forget...

There are a lot of things that we never forget in this lifetime.
We may not relive them every day or speak of them often but we keep them tucked away inside our heart. Or in some cases, so far away from our hearts but in the very back of our minds, never letting them go. Until something brings it back.

I was running inside this morning, listening to my music, I had just hit mile 3 and I looked up at the tv's. I try to avoid the news most days because I can't handle it. It's too much. The world can be a pretty messed up place. I looked up to see images of the Boston Marathon 2013 and it stopped me in my tracks. It still takes my breath away. Even though its tucked very far away in the back of my mind, I will never forget that day, being at the finish or what those 2 did to our beautiful city and its beautiful people. And when I don't forget things, it's bad. I spent a lot of time wishing horrible things on them. I still do. But my focus immediately following that day has always been on what an incredibly strong place we are from. What absolutely amazing people come from here.

There are many things I will never forget. But they come in the form of strength...

I will never forget my dad. This newspaper later traveled to Ireland but that day, my dad was in Boston in the blink of an eye when no one could get in or out of town, traffic was at a standstill, cell phones were down and complete horror surrounded us but somehow...which I didn't doubt for a second, he was there to get us home safely in what felt like immediately.

Strength, perseverance, the ability to never, ever give up are just a few things I think of when I see those images.

Strength, perseverance, the ability to never, ever give up are what I think of when I think of Boston.

Our people are just so awesomely strong. And I love that the city that I called home for 4 years has always been the picture of strength to me.

So I spent the remainder of my run sprinting. I put my head down and I sprinted. And I thought of everything the toughest people endured on that day and the battle they continue to fight every single day but they are doing it. It's amazing what people can do. Strength is an amazing thing. They dig deep every moment of every day to get through and they are doing it beautifully.

I am always proud to be from here but it's something else when I am reminded of it. When I am stopped in my tracks. When my breath is taken away for a brief moment. When I'm brought back to something that I've always wanted to forget but never could because the people that rose up from that day are more powerful than any weak souls who could even fathom doing something like this.

weak·ness

ˈwēknəs/

noun

the state or condition of lacking strength.

Weakness comes in many forms. We see it every day on the news, in those who threaten our schools, in our own neighborhoods. But hope lies in the fact that strength overpowers weakness. Always. Strength always wins.

So while the images of that day are forever in my mind, these are the images from so very soon after that will forever be in my heart.