Survivors, first responders and family members of those killed in the Boston Marathon bombing marked the anniversary last week with tributes that combined sorrow over the loss of innocent victims with pride over the city’s resilience in the face of a terror attack.
Despite the memories of what happened last year, over 36,000 runners competed in the race on Monday. I believe it took great courage for those men and women to run in that marathon knowing what happened the previous year.
Have you ever been through something traumatic? Something you were not able to get over right away? I think all of us have. I can remember the car wreck I was in just a few months ago. I still feel anxious when I see a vehicle to my right that needs to turn to its left.
I consider the accident I went through to be minimal in comparison to what those people dealt with at last year’s Boston Marathon. Can you imagine the complete and utter shock they had to deal with crossing the finish line and experiencing a bomb going off? It is one of those experiences I don’t think anyone can imagine unless they have actually gone through it.
Yet those runners, and new runners, showed up again this year to say, “I’m not scared.”
Talk about courage!
I’m sure some of them experienced flashbacks when they crossed the finish line. But they finished anyway.
I’m sure some of the runners were scared. But they ran anyway.
I’m sure some of them felt as if they could not do it. But they did it anyway.
There is power in overcoming our fears. There is something “freeing” about confronting a bad memory, and overcoming it.
That’s what the people of Boston represent. What about you? Do you stand strong and finish even through your tough challenges?
School is going to be over in a few weeks, and all of you seniors are of course super excited about graduation and heading to the next level of life. What are you afraid of? Regardless of what your fears are, don’t take the easy road. If you are headed to college, don’t pick the easiest degree to get; pick one that will get you ahead in life. If you are taking a different path, be the best you can be at it, and good results will come.
And if you ever doubt yourself, just think of Boston.
(Chrissy Smith is Sports Editor of the Slidell Independent, and a former college athlete. She can be reached at chrissycsmith@gmail.com.)