The sun shined brightly in Boston on April 15, 2013 as the Boston Marathon wrapped up. Celebration ensued as the Red Sox got a walk off win against their division rival, the Tampa Bay Rays. Children laughed and smiled as they sat on their fathers’ shoulders, cheering on the Marathon’s finishing runners.
The feeling of exhilaration did not last, as two bombs exploded at the Marathon finish line at 2:49 PM. Smoke billowed up as high as skyscrapers, people screamed in agony, and first responders rushed to the scene.
I stood on the bleachers across from the finish line, shocked. At first it seemed as if maybe a manhole had burst, but as first responders piled onto the scene. the truth came out that our beloved city had been bombed. When the ringing in my ears subsided and I safely got out of the way of the damage, I reluctantly accepted the grim reality.
As the scene cleared in Boston, my family and I stood staring at the carnage, the sounds of the attack echoing in our ears. Desperately we tried to clear the gruesome images from our heads, but they would not go away.
After the attack, unsettling questions remained: Who would do such a thing? Why would they? Those questions were soon answered by a swift local police and FBI response.
I find comfort in knowing that no one has forgotten what happened that fateful day, even one year after the chaos settled. It is almost a guarantee that when you walk down the halls of Algonquin, you will see some student sporting Boston Strong or One Fund apparel.
The 2013 Boston Red Sox also never forgot about the bombing. They made it their goal to pay tribute to the Marathon victims at every game. The Red Sox hung a “617 Boston Strong” jersey in their dugout every game and they made large donations to the One Fund charity. Their tribute ultimately culminated in an emotional moment when Jonny Gomes and Jarrod Saltalamacchia placed the World Series Trophy donned with a “617 Boston Strong” jersey on the Marathon finish line as God Bless America pierced through the silence.
As time went on those of us who witnessed the act of terror have bonded together under the idea of “Boston Strong”. It showed that the Tsarnaevs’ attempt to tear the bonds between Americans apart only pushed us closer together. From chaos sprang a city whose unification transcended boundaries of race, gender, and religion, a populace reliant on one another to move past the pain and focus on the future.
Let “Boston Strong” and the events that ensued be a message to those who wish to harm to us that while sometimes the differences with our fellow Americans may seem vast, when tragedy occurs we stand together.