For BOSTON

A Marathon of Mourning

In mourning for Martin
only eight watching with family

In mourning for normalcy
so much taken once more

In gratitude for our family
so miraculously spared


T's great nieces are running from the scene in this news photo, lower right.


For the Record,
This day came in with heavy heart, what if's too close to imagine. We are strong New Englanders and we have banded together for our beloved city, our freedom. A glorious spring day, Patriot's Day, marred by the terror and carnage yesterday.

NYTimes

My Monday blip chronicles how close people I love came to death or serious injury. There were twelve folks watching eagerly for T's nephew's wife to cross the finish line with the other 9,000 still on the Marathon course. N was half a mile from finishing.

Miraculously all of our loved ones waiting precisely at the site of the bombings were spared physical injury. I can tell you, they have been touched forever by what they witnessed beside and in back of them as they stood on the sidewalk.

A true miracle happened when our 8 year old was moved to the front moments before so she could see N cross the finish line. Little Martin and his family were not allowed that grace. Two more members of his family are in critical condition, his mother with a serious head injury and his 6 year old sister lost a leg.

If T had not been on a business trip, we would have been there as well.