It was the best of times. It was the worst of times… I am not that into Dickens, but his words could not be more appropriate for the events of today in Boston and in the last month in my life. I have had my usual chronic health troubles amplified, and, well, put simply and vaguely, life’s difficulties. In the best of times category lies a writing gig for a very interesting outlet http://www.yawkeywayreport.com (and some scary, but not dangerous experiences to go with it), a great family trip with my most favorite people on Earth, filled with laughter and joy, and an email from a great professor from my past reminding me of my true identity. Big joys, small joys, big and minuscule times of sadness. These are the things of which life is made.

Today, April 15th, 2013, Patriots’ Day, an entire range of emotions that could be lived in one month, or two, played out before our eyes in just hours. The city I love, grew up in, is in a state of  terror. The streets are part of a police state. Streets away from where I walked hand in hand with my mother, headed to the Swan Boats, or shopping at Copley Place, are marred by some fools’ errand. We saw the worst of times today, but we also saw the best of people today. Heroes that stepped in and helped marathon runners, marathon runners that had just completed 26.2 miles helping those in the crowd on the sidelines after two bombs that went off on Boylston Street.

Where do we go from here? Do we sing the song of the Civil Rights movement, “We shall Overcome?” Or shall we sing the songs of contemporaries of our great Patriots’ and Founding Fathers? Those songs of John Phillips Souza and Francis Scott Key. Shall we sing these songs as we come together and feel the emotions of the day, as we heal our wounds, and as we celebrate our infinite gratitude for our lives, and those people who help and serve without expectation of anything in return.

The world is a crazy place, but so isn’t each of our own worlds. All we can do is pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and move forward into the bright, but uncertain, future.

Please #prayforboston. Pray for this country. Pray for a better day tomorrow.