"Look for the helpers," said the radio announcer.
He continued to explain that even as a positive person, it is often extremely difficult to find the positive in such a shocking and tragic situation. His emphasis on looking for the helpers- focusing on all of the people who responded with bravery, kindness, and empathy was exactly the perspective I needed to make some sense out of such a senseless act.
What can often be found is that the "helpers" greatly outnumber those few who unfortunately chose to enact violence and cause suffering. First responders were at the scene in minutes, courageously helping everyone they could, Boston blood banks overflowed with people's generous donations, and social media was able to aid in providing a means of communication when other methods were not working... just to name a few.
And it is the small acts of kindness, the ones that will never make it to the news, but will be talked about at the dinner tables, and office meetings, and among friends and family that should also be celebrated. These acts, not the violence, are the part of the event that should be focused on and communicated. Although Marathon Monday will never be quite the same, and my whole heart goes out to each and every person who has or still is suffering from the terrible event, we must find the positive and always remember to look for the helpers.
At the Bruins game last night, the entire building reverberated with everyone in the TD Banknorth Garden singing the national anthem and the overall feelings of solidarity within a city that will not accept nor be defeated by such senseless acts are incredible.
#bostonstrong
I'm glad you posted this, Kitri. This week was one filled with all kinds of emotions - fear, vulnerability, and sadness, but also hope. It was incredible to see people responding to a terror with bravery and to tragedy with kindness. It was really special to watch people come together with love and support and be 'helpers' in all kinds of ways. I really love this picture, it was taken during the lockdown, a family with young children ran out of milk, so a police officer delivered some - https://sphotos-b.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/532316_10151894507532575_2146955049_n.jpg
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this, especially since I know you have so many connections to Boston I know this event probably had a big effect on you. I love this idea of looking for the helpers, I think the first time I heard it was last fall when the Sandy Hook shooting happened (credit was given to Mr. Rogers remembering something his mother would say, but on the Internet who knows how reliable that it). It is so hard to turn your focus away from the destruction and chaos that a few, or even one person can create to devastate a country. It's true though that when you look closer and ay attention, the amount of people who go above and beyond to help others in those times is incredible. The stories that came out in the days after the tragedy are what I tried to focus on, like Callie shared the picture of the police officer delivering milk, the runners who took a detour and ran straight to the nearest hospitals to donate blood once they realized what happened, the people who ran to the aide of strangers, covering them with their bodies, carrying them to safety, holding them together until help could be found. If only the great acts of these people were as widely covered and could have as big of an impact as one or two people trying to cause harm.
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