Written by Rachael Fanopoulos, Mommybites Boston Founder
On Monday, my dear friend was waiting at the finish line for her husband with her 3 toddlers. Her family was my first thought when I heard the horrible news. I paced around my house and I imagined her navigating through the chaos with her children.
A huge relief came over me when she posted to Facebook that they were all OK. I know that she has never been so scared or horrified in her life as she ran through the city praying for the safety of her children.
I honor her strength within those terrifying moments. She had to think fast and do whatever it took to protect her children amongst the chaos. How do we as parents stay strong and assure our kids that they are safe when we are scared? It’s effortless, yet the hardest thing in the world.
I’ve come to realize that this is, in fact, a snapshot of what we do as parents every day. Many parents put on a happy face for their children as they struggle financially, have a bad day at work, argument with a spouse or fear for the health of loved ones.
Even after facing such terrifying circumstance, my friend’s husband spoke about all of the good that he saw as he tried to reach his family (passers by offering him water, phones, money) and reflected on all of those running to honor loved ones and help charities much larger than themselves.
As Elton John says “I know it’s not much but it’s the best I can do. My gift is my song and this one’s for you.” The Yankees paid tribute to their rival city by playing Fenway’s traditional song, “Sweet Caroline”. Bruins fans emotionally belted out the National Anthem in last night’s game. Local museums offered free admission allowing for a space of comfort and community. Columnists wrote uplifting stories. Artists painted murals. Medical professionals worked long hours. Parents hugged their children tighter. I now realize that we all have our unique gifts to give. For me, I will start with this blog post and hope is that it inspires some of you to give your gift.
“I hope you don’t mind that I put down in words how wonderful life is while you’re in the world.”
Comments are closed.