The City of Boston

The Boston Skyline at Dusk

We Are One Boston

Today is one week since tragedy struck the Boston Marathon. In the last seven days I’ve seen the best of humanity triumph over the unimaginable. Mayor Menino expressed things best in his speech at the interfaith healing service honoring the victims of the bombings.

Mayor Menino:

“Good morning. And it is a good morning because we are together. We are one Boston. No adversity, no challenge – nothing – can tear down the resilience of this city and its people.

It is written that, “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all sins.” And since the clocks struck that fateful hour, love has covered this resilient city. I have never loved it and its people more than I do today. We have never loved it and its people more than we do today.

We love the brave ones who felt the blast and still raced to the smoke. With ringing in their ears, they tugged gates to the ground to answer cries from those in need. This was the courage of our city at work.

We love the fathers and the brothers who took shirts off their backs to stop the bleeding. The mothers and the sisters who cared for the injured. The neighbors and the business owners, the homeowners all across this city, they opened their doors and hearts to the weary and the scared. They said, “What’s mine is yours. We’ll get through this together.” This was the compassion of our city at work.

We have never loved the heroes who wear the uniforms more than we do at this hour.

Boston’s Finest in their blue carried kids to safety and calmed a city in a crisis. The EMTs performed miracles in an instant. Firefighters answered the call. We love the National Guard and our service members who brought valor to our streets. The volunteers in their BAA jackets and vests. And the doctors and the nurses who waited in their scrubs and did not buckle as the victims and their grave injuries arrived. This was the strength of our city at work.

We have never loved the people of the world and our great country more for their prayers and wishes. And yes, we even love New York City more – “Sweet Caroline” playing in Yankee Stadium and our city’s flag flying in Lower Manhattan.

It gives us even more strength to say prayer after prayer for the victims still recovering in the hospitals and at home. It gives us the strength to say good-bye to the young boy with a big heart, Martin Richard. We pray for his sister and mom, his brother and dad. It helps us say that we’ll miss Krystle Campbell and celebrate her spirit that brought her to the marathon year after year. And it prepares us to mourn Lingzi Lu who came to this city in search of an education, but found new friends who will never forget her.

Nothing can defeat the heart of this city. Nothing. Nothing will take us down because we take care of one another. Even with the smell of smoke in the air… blood on the streets… tears in our eyes… we triumphed over that hateful act on Monday afternoon. It is a glorious thing the love and the strength that covers our city. It will push us forward and it will push thousands and thousands and thousands of people across the finish line next year. Because this is Boston, a city with the courage, compassion and strength that knows no bounds.”

Full Text From Mayor Menino’s Speech Courtesy of the Dorchester Reporter

Photo Info:

Camera:  Nikon D300
Lens:  Nikkor 18-200 mm
Exif Data:  ISO 200, 32 mm, f/6.3, 0.8 sec.

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Come back every Monday to see my latest “Single Shot Showcase”!

~ Liz Mackney

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