Boston Marathon Heartbreak Like None Before

My heart goes out to anybody who was hurt in any way related to the bombings on Monday at the Marathon, and of course their family and friends. I am grateful that all of my friends and family, and everyone I know, are all safe and sound. I am grateful for the awesome volunteers, medical staff, and all others who jumped right in, who are all truly angels!

How wonderful to feel so much love coming my way, and really toward Boston in general, from loved ones all over the world :) It was also weird and unreal how in a moment, something so 'important' (fulfilling a lifelong dream of participating in the Boston Marathon), became very trivial.

Being home with my hubby, two daughters, and son, all wrapped up in a big bear hug has never felt better! Now, to find some good in a horrific situation...

Life Lessons of the Boston Marathon Bombings

Don't take life too seriously. Our pace/place/race in running, as well as in life, should matter a lot less than being with the ones we love, and doing the right thing.

Life is precious. Enjoy as many moments as possible; enjoy them as if they were your last!

Know that you are loved, and pass it on. You'll get it all back and more, I promise!

Love is the only thing you get more of by giving it away :)

See the good in people, in life. It's all around, especially if you're looking!

Consider this Zen story: Once a woman moving into a village asked "what are the people of the town like?"  The monk asked the question back about the town she had come from. She replied "rude, unkind, selfish". The monk told her "the people here are just the same". Then another man came around asking about the monk's town. The monk again asked the question back. The man answered "the people there were kind, loving, helpful". The monk told him "the people here are just the same".

So you see it's all in how you look at a situation, a person, life in general. See the bright and shiny, and again you'll find more bright and shiny :)

Be aware of your surroundings.  It's easy to get lost in your thoughts and not notice what is happening around you.  You might also enjoy my post about MINDFULNESS :)

In the words of Kathrine Switzer, "Be fearless!"  Acts of terror are meant to do just the opposite - spread fear - so we can show our strength by following Kathrine Switzer's advice -- being fearless!

2013 Boston Marathon Runner Passport autographed by Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to run the Boston Marathon in 1967; she had to be sneaky to get in there and was famously, and unsuccessfully tackled by the race director!

Once a great man, my grad school adviser, Marco Cabrera, may he rest in peace, gave me a compliment that I've always remembered. He said "you're not afraid to fail!" It didn't seem like much of a compliment at the moment, but in the years since, I've found that this is an attribute of many successful people in history. If you go for what's beyond what you KNOW you can achieve, you'll reach for really amazing goals and awesome possibilities, with some failures, and other seemingly impossible accomplishments, and always truly exciting experiences!

COMMENTS: What have you been up to? I've been missing the blog in a pre- and post- Boston Marathon daze of busy-ness, awe, and shock!