Boston Marathon Tragedy

Yesterday evening as I sat in a garden terrace in Barcelona I received an email from my Dad.  My Dad; a Triathlete, IronMan, Marathoner, and overall athlete, but also a lover of poetry, Longfellow specifically.  It was a basic hello from Dad email, noting the happenings of his life.  He did tell me that the Boston Marathon was in progress, on Patriots day which commemorates the start of the American Revolutionary War.  My Dad made a point to quote Longfellow, and Paul Reveres ride, as the war officially began:

 "On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-Five;

Hardly a man is now alive

Who remembers that famous day and year. 

He said to his friend, "If the British

march

By land or sea from the town to-night

Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch

Of the North Church sower as a signal light,-

One, if by land, and two if by Sea; And I on the opposite shore will be, 

Read to ride and spread the alarm

Through every Middlesex village and farm, 

For the country folk to be up in arm."

Longfellow is my Dads email is common, as are his athletic pursuits, and so on. 

I happily reminisced with Walid of the Patriots day we had spent in Boston-enjoying a wonderful city and watching the marathon...a marathon which neither of us has ever participated though we have always wanted to...little did we know what was happening across the atlantic.  

This morning I awoke to chilling emails and messages from family and friends telling me what had happened, moments after my Dad had sent his happy update, came a concerned email for friends in Boston.  

The Boston Marathon is not only a running event, and a race, but what should be a day filled with joy.  So many runners had fundraised for a charity.  The Boston Marathon raises over $10,000,000.00 for causes in the great Boston region alone.  How could a day which should have been filled with happy memories transform into a day of terror in the blink of an eye.  

This hit close to home for Walid and Me, having grown up watching my Dad run, and now participating in events as adults.  Its not that alone.  Spectating is fun, these events are fun.  They should be associated with joy, with aside from race jitters.  The gift that so many children have had of watching their Mom or Dad run across the finish line was snatched from those children today, even claiming the life of one, taking their child.  This is a heart wrenching tragedy.  

America is a country of resilience, perseverance and strength.  That can be seen in the early footage of individuals rushing to help alongside servicemen to help after the first explosion,  It can be seen by the athletes and individuals who rushed to give blood, and to me, it seems that this is the spirit in which America was born and Longfellow captured in his poem.  

If you are in Boston and would like to help please see below:

American Red Cross Website

MSNBC by Sarah Muller link to msnbc

Assistance finding a loved oneIn emergency situations, it can be challenging to locate a family member or friend. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Office encouraged Americans looking to check on the status of their loved ones to try these steps:

• Call the Boston Mayor’s Hotline (617-635-4500) for information about individuals who may have been injured.
• Google set a up a Boston Marathon Person Finder page for those looking for someone or those who have information about someone. It’s currently tracking more then 5,000 people.
• Phones have been bogged down in the Boston-area from the sheer volume of calls following the emergency. So try texting if you’re having trouble getting through on the phone.

Are you okay after the attacks? Say soDon’t keep it to yourself—get on record with officials and friends.

• To help keep track and locate victims, The Red Cross urged those who were attending the Boston Marathon or those in the surrounding area to register on the “Safe and Well” list. Family members can also access this information.
• Posting your status on social media outlets, like Facebook and Twitter, also helps spread the word on your whereabouts.

Send in tips, cell phone video, photosIf you see something, say something. In the age of smartphones, the Boston Marathon was in no shortage of photographers and cameras at the time of the incident. And many who attended might have snapped a picture with a piece of evidence and not even know it.

• Witnesses or those who may have information should call the Boston Police Department (1-800-494-8477).
• If you have any visual images, like photos or video, or other information that could shed light on the deadly attacks, call the FBI’s hotline (1-800-CALL-FBI —prompt #3). The FBI said on its website, “no detail is too small.”

Offer housing to someone who is displacedGoogle set up a helpful Doc page to organize housing for runners or visitors in town for the Boston Marathon who need an immediate place to stay.

Schedule a time to donate blood in the futureDon’t rush to give blood just yet in Boston. There is “enough blood on shelves to meet demand,” according to a tweet from the organizations. As an alternative, American Red Cross spokeswoman Anne Marie Borrego told NBC News that scheduling a time in the future to give blood would be the best way to get involved right now.