Come what may...

Today, I watched the news (as I'm sure everyone did) all day off and on as the city and surrounding communities of Boston were ordered to "shelter in place." Schools, universities, businesses, transportation of all kinds, and even baseball games were cancelled, because a disgruntled young man and his brother made a very bad decision to destroy and take innocent lives during and after this year's Boston Marathon.

I am not going to sit here and regurgitate all of the information the media has already been hurling at us for the last week, and particularly the last 24 hours. You (most likely) know what I know. I'm glad they found the suspect at large, caught him, and have him in custody alive, not because I don't believe he shouldn't lose his life (after the four lives he took and countless others he forever scarred), I just want us as a nation to be able to ask WHY he and his brother did what they did. Where did the hatred come from? Who were they trying to please? What was the greater purpose they "thought" they were serving?

I just am sickened by all of this, and normally I wouldn't use this space to talk about it, because what does it have to do with mommyhood? Well, actually, it has a lot to do with it. These two men (the younger still new to being called an adult) are somebody's sons. A woman carried each of them for nearly 10 months, gave birth and assuredly loved them. At what point after their innocent entry into the world did their minds and hearts become so dark? At what point did evil doing become greater than doing good?

I ask these questions because I, too, am a mother to two boys (the loves of my life). I think the world of them, brag about how smart they are (sorry!), marvel at their abilities and have big dreams for their future (Pulitzer prize material). I have high, optimistic hopes for them, and I don't think of my boys as doing anything less than wonderful with their lives. Therefore, it's difficult to imagine the horror, disgust, fear, confusion, anger and bitterness the parents of the two "Boston Marathon bombers" feel right now. I don't think any mother or father ever truly thinks their child could one day be capable of something so horrific and heartless.. There will be no more opportunity for them in the "land of opportunity" due to their own horrible choices.

On days like this I hold my boys a little tighter, pray harder and try desperately to hold on to the notion that there is far more good in the world than evil. In the wise words of Annie, "The sun will come out tomorrow. Wipe away the cobwebs and the sorrow. Come what may..."

[Sorry for the very serious blogging today, but it's hard to be lighthearted while a whole city and nation exhales tonight and hopes for much brighter days ahead.]