We're Boston Strong!

 

It’s been a goosebump kind of day on Facebook as people change their profile and cover photos to reflect the 8 year anniversary of 4/15/13.

 

As Spaulding Rehab Race for Rehab 2009 Alumni, Tom and I returned to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel for the first time since we crossed the finish line, to cheer on the Race for Rehab team. Staff from the Development Office were on their laptops tracking runners and sharing with the assembled crowd who was on track for a BQ. The excitement was building for when we would soon regale the runners draped in their foil and adorned with their medals. We paused from looking out the floor to ceiling windows in the Mandarin to chat with fellow teammates and to get more food from the buffet.

 

We heard what sounded like a cannon going off in the distance; not a sound you’d usually hear on Marathon Monday. We thought for a split second it could have been a man hole cover or … and then we heard a second explosion as the building shook and white smoke rose up from Boylston Street. We instinctively knew to stand away from the glass but one of our friends went up to the window to look outside. “It’s bad. It’s a tragedy.” There was an eerie mix of hysteria and calm as the Hotel staff led us out to the back of the Prudential Center. We safely evacuated down Huntington Avenue to our car parked 2 miles away in Brookline Village. We were on the phone with our out-of-state twins as we all tried to figure out what happened as helicopters flew overhead and SWAT teams and emergency vehicles filled the streets and sky.

 

The rest of the day was spent watching the news and checking in with friends as we became a community hence forth known as Boston Strong.

 

From "Feel the Heal: An Anthology of Poems to Heal Your Life":

"Out of our deepest wounds we find our greatest strength, our most beautiful treasures and the knowledge that love is far greater and more powerful than any experience we endure. ~Mary McManus

As we approached the one-year anniversary of the Boston Marathon Bombing, I was inspired to write this poem:

Light Always Wins

 

In their flower beds

awakened by the warm Spring sun

they shiver

unexpected wind chill

mid-April in Boston

we shiver to remember

one year ago

what a difference a year makes

turn over from Winter to Spring

slow

is it always this slow

or a gentle reminder

we are still healing.

Mother Nature has her own rhythm

trust in the Divine

taking time

remember

roots extend deep into earth

we were shaken

we rise

eager to shed our coats

vibrant colors of the soul

radiant

reflecting resilience

invincibility

light always wins."

Martin, Krystle, Lingzi, Officer Collyer and Officer Simmonds and their families and all who were touched by the events of 4/15/13 are always in our hearts.

 

On April 20, 2014, we were blessed to be a part of the pre-game ceremony at Fenway Park as BAA volunteers:

 

May we always choose kindness, peace and a life of service to others and remember the lives and legacy of those we lost on 4-15-13.

 

From my heart to yours

In health and wellness 

Mary

For more information about my journey from childhood polio and trauma to the finish line of the 2009 Boston Marathon and beyond, visit my website.

 

"Hope is a Garden:Poems and Essays From the 2020 Pandemic" along with all of my books to inspire and uplift you is available on Amazon.