thankful.

i had a friend running in the marathon yesterday.

i am thankful she was unharmed.

our friends all across the country were following her bib number/chip, excited for her and this amazing opportunity to run in the boston marathon. we had an email chain going with updates, cheering her on from our desk chairs or at home with our kids. excited to hear she had finished. excited to hear she did it, just like we knew she could. she made a goal and surpassed it.

well, our friend did make it.

but she was 1/2 a mile from finishing her race when those cowardly bombs went off.

i feel bad for her, i feel bad that that one individual or group of mean people have permanently scarred this event for her and the other thousands of people she ran with. this event that she, and all the others worked so hard for.

i feel bad for the people who were injured.

i feell awful, full of heartbreak, for those that lost their lives or lost their loved ones.

what happened was just senseless.

i have only ever been to one marathon, the nyc marathon when my sister-in-law ran it in 2010. i came back from that day with love in my heart, with hope for humanity! God was all over that place that day. people were there to support and cheer and aid people they didn't know, that they will never know. it was people supporting people. i saw more signs of love and a hope for our humanity that day than any other day in my life.

and it saddens me that whoever did this, chose the same situation to show his fear and hatred. i don't like him/her/them, and they will have to answer for their cowardly, mean, selfish act someday.

i am seriously thankful my friend is ok.

i couldn't imagine losing her.

i am thankful more lives weren't lost, but it doesn't make the few that did lose their lives any better.

all we can do is keep them and their families in our prayers.

those jerks.

but i read something today...

it's from mr. rogers, who i used to watch as a kid:

"when i was a young boy and i would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'look for the helpers. you will always find people who are helping.' to this day, especially in times of disaster, i remember my mother's words and am always comforted that there are still so many helpers- so many caring people in this world."

JILL

{you can purchase this art of boston here}