Two Years After Marathon Bombing, We Are ‘One Boston’
It’s been two years, and $80 million in donations, and one trial with 30 guilty charges, since the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. But, no matter how you measure, Bostonians were forever changed on April 15, 2013, when two bombs killed three people, and injured more than 280 others. A few days later, MIT Police Officer Sean Collier was killed.
At 2:49 p.m., the time the first bomb went off, the city will hold a moment of silence to mark the two-year anniversary of the attack. After the moment of silence, church bells will ring out across the city.
We can mark the time that has passed, and count the money that’s been raised. What’s harder to measure is the way we feel.
Today, Bostonians will have something positive to tally: acts of kindness. April 15 marks the first “One Boston Day,’’ which, according to its website, “will celebrate the resiliency, generosity, and strength of the people that make Boston the great city it is.’’
The idea for One Boston Day came when many survivors expressed a desire to spread the good will and support they received after the 2013 marathon. Bostonians are encouraged to share what they’ll be doing to give back by using the hashtag #OneBostonDay.
One Boston Day comes exactly four months after One Fund Boston stopped accepting donations. The charity, which was formed by Gov. Deval Patrick and the late Mayor Thomas Menino the day after the bombings, raised nearly $80 million for victims and their families.
Even with an emphasis on kindness, the anniversary is painful. The Boston Public Health Commission released a list of tips for coping with the bombing’s second anniversary. The list, which was adapted from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, encourages people to “do what you want to do, rather than what you think you should do,’’ and notes that “helping others might help you.’’
But, the list also notes, “There is no need to talk about a distressing event unless you want to.’’ And part of the way we remember is in silence.
On Monday, about 32,500 people will run 26.2 miles in the 2015 Boston Marathon. They will run for charities. They will run to remember. They will run because two years, $80 million in donations, one trial, and 30 guilty charges later, we remain one Boston.
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