Reflecting on the terrifying and sad events in Boston this week, I sat down to write a letter to my 10 and a half month old daughter, Hope, in a journal I keep for when she is older. An excerpt is below:
The Boston Marathon bombing (and subsequent car chase, shoot out and lock down of the whole city) has rattled everyone. As a runner and a mom, it hit me particularly hard. I don't understand how someone could do that, and I want very much to be able to protect you from all of the danger and sadness and ugliness in the world. It feels relatively easy with you so young, but I know it will get harder as you grow. You're engaging more and more with the world, and I want you to feel confident, free and able to explore. Even though bad things happen, there is still so much in this world that is beautiful, amazing, and good. A quote from Mr. Rogers has been floating around the internet--basically, his mom told him that in every tragedy, there are always good people, people who are helping, and she told him to always look for the helpers--I'm going to tell you to do that when you're old enough to see the news and be scared by it. But more than that, I want to raise you to be one of those helpers. I want you to be motivated by suffering and inequality and injustice, and I want you to know that you can make a difference. You don't have to stand idly by--you can raise your voice, you can pitch in, you can make things better by serving others. You are so lucky and blessed--to have a strong family who supports you, to have food and clothing and a warm house and doctors and swimming pools and books and parks and so many things. Never take them for granted. Never get so caught up in them that you can't see and feel for others who have less. Hope, I want you to make your way in this world, to be whoever you want to be and do what you want to do, but I also dearly want you to have a heart for this world and the people in it and to always be looking for how you can be a helper.
The Boston Marathon bombing (and subsequent car chase, shoot out and lock down of the whole city) has rattled everyone. As a runner and a mom, it hit me particularly hard. I don't understand how someone could do that, and I want very much to be able to protect you from all of the danger and sadness and ugliness in the world. It feels relatively easy with you so young, but I know it will get harder as you grow. You're engaging more and more with the world, and I want you to feel confident, free and able to explore. Even though bad things happen, there is still so much in this world that is beautiful, amazing, and good. A quote from Mr. Rogers has been floating around the internet--basically, his mom told him that in every tragedy, there are always good people, people who are helping, and she told him to always look for the helpers--I'm going to tell you to do that when you're old enough to see the news and be scared by it. But more than that, I want to raise you to be one of those helpers. I want you to be motivated by suffering and inequality and injustice, and I want you to know that you can make a difference. You don't have to stand idly by--you can raise your voice, you can pitch in, you can make things better by serving others. You are so lucky and blessed--to have a strong family who supports you, to have food and clothing and a warm house and doctors and swimming pools and books and parks and so many things. Never take them for granted. Never get so caught up in them that you can't see and feel for others who have less. Hope, I want you to make your way in this world, to be whoever you want to be and do what you want to do, but I also dearly want you to have a heart for this world and the people in it and to always be looking for how you can be a helper.
