Dear Boston,
My heart broke for you yesterday. Your marathon runners trained for months to complete an act that is largely governed by sheer will and determination. Running the Chicago Marathon in 2001, shortly after September 11th, was one of the proudest and happiest days of my life. It was an affirmation of life, a clear communication to the world that we will not shrink away from adversity because of fear. I am sick that your runners have been robbed of this same feeling. The whole of this country is with you now to make this same affirmation. You are alone in your grief and sorrow. We stand with you, shoulder to shoulder.
I understand that these types of behaviors can’t be rationalized, but here’s something that can be: when people seek to harm the innocent, to take a stand for their “principles” by inflicting pain upon others, you better believe that the goodness that lies within the rest of us will rise up strong, fearless, and unrelenting. We will be damned if we will ever take this kind of horrendous behavior lying down. We will not be intimidated and we will not accept this kind of tragedy as par for the course in our ever-more complex and complicated world.
Justice will be served. In the end, it always is. Karma is a perfect accounting system and it always keeps its promises. Here’s our promise to you: we will not rest until we bind up these wounds in the hearts, minds, and bodies of your people. We will see you through this.
Love,
Everyone
Christa Avampato 