Growing up in a suburb outside of the wonderful city of Boston, April 15, 2013 was a heartbreaking day for me, my family, my friends, thousands of other Massachusetts residents and so many others around the country. I will never forget the moment when I heard about those bombs going off at the finish line of one of the most difficult and most popular marathon courses in the world. During the remainder of that day and even the following days - watching the news 24/7, seeing the photos of injured onlookers and runners on the sidewalks and hearing that the two bombers were on the loose in Greater Boston just added to the terror felt by millions. A terror that was unfortunately inflicted upon my favorite city in the world.
Three years later, we take a look back at this saddening day in history. Resulting in four deaths and hundreds of injuries, there are those who are still in recovery - for some, it's the emotional damage; and for others, it's the physical toll. As for the two culprits (the Tsarnaev brothers), the older one, Tamerlan - the mastermind of it all, was killed after the bombings in a firefight with police as he and his brother tried to escape. The younger one, Dzhokhar - was incarcerated for a while before facing multiple charges in court right around this time last year, ending with him being sentenced to death.
It has recently come to my attention that there is an upcoming film about the Boston Marathon bombings in the making, titled "Patriots Day". Starring Mark Wahlberg, John Goodman, and Kevin Bacon, this film is set to recreate the events of April 15, 2013 in the eyes of the Boston Police Department, Boston EMS, the Boston Fire Department, and the Massachusetts Army National Guard. I'm sure the initial responses to this film will be mixed, as some do not want to re-live that day in any fathomable way; while others may be interested in seeing if Hollywood can do Boston Strong any justice.
Although this day is one that many do not want to remember, that is simply something that is not going to be possible for everyone. Personally, I am never going to forget that day. Even though I was not directly affected by the bombings or its aftermath, that day is a constant reminder of how lucky I am to live in a city able to withstand something as terrible as the Boston Marathon bombings. It was the day we all joined together after an act of terror and became Boston Strong.
As President Obama said, "You've shown us, Boston, that in the face of evil, Americans will lift up what's good. In the face of cruelty, we will choose compassion. In the face of those who would visit deaths upon innocents, we will choose to save and to comfort and to heal. We'll choose friendship. We'll choose love."
