This is our read aloud book right now. Bird and Deal are so mesmerized that they pleaded for just. one. more. chapter. and volunteered to give up media the following day just to hear more about Louis the swan. It made me proud, and I happily indulged. Truth be told, I wanted to keep reading too.
After the boys put on pajamas and settled into my bed, we all nestled in for a good read, dog at our feet, ceiling fan blowing ever so gently, down covers pulled up to just cover their bare legs. I opened up the book to begin reading. As you can imagine, it’s my favorite part of the day. I gingerly tucked my finger into the pages to remove the bookmark, noting the tattered cover. I opened the book to find this chapter.
GULP.
I have not been watching the news or incessantly checking my Twitter feed. I saw some headlines before I left work and hurried off to get Bird and Deal from school. We don’t come home and flip on the television, and we don’t glue ourselves to the screen to watch tragedy unfold. We told our children of Sandy Hook in very basic terms in an effort to ward off anything they might hear at school from their peers. We have not mentioned the Boston marathon bombing. They know our dear friend Chris ran it today (Thankfully, he and his wife are fine.). We vacationed in Boston last summer. We ate Boston cream pie, went to a Red Sox game, walked the Freedom Trail, and indulged in mussels, pizza, and cannolis in Little Italy. Somehow tragedy touches closer to the heart when it falls on a path you have walked, no?
I think of Boston tonight. I think of the victims, their loved ones.
I think of first responders and want them all to get raises instead of be belittled by political talking heads who don’t see their worth.
I think of the everyday people who literally ran, and kept on running, to help.
I think of the 8-year old boy who died today. I think of him as I brush the hair from my own 9- and 7-year old sons’ foreheads as I give them Eskimo and butterfly kisses goodnight. Oh, I think of that little boy’s mother whose heart was shredded today.
I think of Americans everywhere who send a piece of their hearts to Boston tonight.
I think of children, mothers, fathers, families who live within the terror of bombs and senseless violence everyday. I think of those whose bombs land on soil that is not American.
We can’t do much, but we can pray and we can donate blood. Two things we should be doing anyway.
This totally made me cry and I appreciate you sharing it. My favorite part is where you declare that the first responders should all get raises. Right on!