Remembering The Marathon

Maybe I'm not the most appropriate individual to write this piece. After all, I wasn't even born in Boston, I was born in Philly. I've spent the better part of a decade in Arizona for school and for my job. Hell, I was in San Jose when the bombs went off.

Maybe a guy like Carr should've written this piece. He's a BC alum and if you ask any Eagle they will tell you that the best day of the academic calendar is Patriots day. The guy has been to numerous marathons and celebrated them all accordingly.

Or maybe Skard or Blob should write this. After all, they were 15 minutes away from the city. 15 minutes away from one of the most horrific tragedies in recent memory. 15 minutes away from blood, carnage and evil.

Some may say there are better people out there that should write about the bombings that took place last year.

I'm here to tell you that it doesn't matter. If you've ever stepped foot in the 617, then you were affected. If you've ever sang Dirty Water or Sweet Caroline, then you were affected. If you've ever sat along the Charles for hours on end on July 4th just to see the fireworks light up the clear Boston sky while listening to the Pops perform in the Hatch Shell... then you were affected. 

My point is that you don't have to have grown up in Southie or lived all your life in Boston in order to be affected. Your favorite movie doesn't have to be The Departed, or The Town, or Good Will Hunting in order to have felt pain. You don't have to have a portrait of Tom Brady sitting on your mantle as he overlooks your family eating dinner in order to have cried.

The family of Lingzi Lu, a 23 year old foreign exchange student from China who was killed, hurt just as much as the mechanic from Medford or the lawyer from Lexington. What took place last year was truly a global tragedy.

But in a world of constant tragedy there is constant response. That response comes in the shape of sports. Look, we all know sports are an incredible way to heal. First thing that popped into my head was Piazza going yard days after 9/11.

But there's something special about Boston sports and their ability to heal. It was only natural that the Patriots ended up as Super Bowl champs following one of the deadliest attacks on America.

Or how about the fans at the Bruins game last year that took the baton flawlessly from legend, Rene Rancourt, during the national anthem? For me, that was the clearest example of American solidarity you will ever see. There's something about this city and its athletes that prompt them to rise to the occasion when needed. The Bruins were seconds away from a Game 7 in the Stanley Cup finals and the Red Sox, arguably the Boston team most closely associated with the bombings, went on to win another World Series.

Just like with the bombings, you don't have to be from Boston to understand how tough the athletes are. It's quite evident.

Regardless of where you were or where you're from, we will always remember that fateful day on April 15th, 2013. A day that will always live in infamy, but really, only we dictate how we remember such a tragedy.

For me, I'm gonna remember the national anthem at the B's game. I'm gonna remember Papi's speech. I'm gonna remember the Red Sox placing the World Series trophy at the finish line. But most importantly, I'm gonna remember how strong Boston was in the aftermath.

Boston Strong.