When I think of The Boston marathon, I think of my sister-in-law Laurel, and going into Boston to her 8th floor apartment in Kenmore square and watching people approaching the finish line. Sometimes watching from her balcony, sometimes going down to the street for awhile to cheer on the runners. It was nice with the kids being little to be able to do both.
I remember watching Dick and Rich Hoyt run by. We looked for them each year. And all the wheelchair runners with their amazing upper body physique and really cool “running” wheelchairs. And the front runners – first the men, then the women, those amazing women who came in before so many other men. And then the pack of other runners. And all the people on the sidelines cheering people on. And depending on how long we stayed, some of the runners that were near the back of the pack – I was always touched by their tenacity to finish the race.
Such an amazing feat to run a marathon. I remember marveling at the bodies of the runners…all muscle, not a bit of fat. And people came to run this race from all over the world!
Boston is such a beautiful city and marathon day was such a nice time to go into the city, just as the weather was beginning to warm after a long winter (because it’s always a long winter in Boston!).
The kids got older, Laurel and Phil moved out of the city, and my days of watching the marathon in person ended. But I have such good memories of those days, and these will always be my memories of the Boston Marathon. No one can spoil that. I won’t let them.
God bless all the people affected by today’s life-changing tragedy. I am praying for you and your families.