#PrayForBoston
I put my head to pillow last night and like the rest of the world, grieved for Boston.
I, like all of you, shed tears for our brothers and sisters hit hard by the tragic occurrences on Marathon Monday (Patriots’ Day).
I, as a New Yorker caught in the madness of 9/11 so many years ago, did indeed take a step back in time to 2001, as the visuals tore across the television screen, like an all too familiar movie. And, I grieved a bit more.
I, like many of you, prayed hard for an answer to why…and when I didn’t get an answer, I silently thanked you all for being a part of my life. You can never tell the people you love, that you love them too much. The “I love you more…” game I played with my parents as a child seemed silly then. Now it just seems like a good way to live the rest of my life.
Friends, I say to all of you “…me more”.
I woke hoping perhaps it was a dream. When reality set in that indeed life changed again forever, in a blink , I opened an email from my dear friend Michael.
Life changed one more time, in a blink. With water filled eyes and a heavy heart, I read of the news of Carrie Everdyke (who many of you know as the right-hand women to Asa Hoffman). Diagnosed with cancer in December of 2012, it was with great sadness that I discovered in four short months, her body is no longer able to fight the disease. Carrie is in her final days here with us and we will be losing yet another beautiful soul.
I, like all of you, read the above and say, what can I do?
First and foremost – love big, love hard and love often. Hold tight to those that mean the world to you – be kind and generous to everyone, always.
Take a moment to tell someone exactly what they mean to you.
Hold the door for someone in the deli.
Wave at your neighbor when you leave your house today.
Say hello to your postman.
Smile at a stranger walking by you.
We clearly have little control as to what goes on in the world or even within our own flesh, but we DO have control of our own actions. So do good with them.
My high school driver’s ed teacher always preached – “Driving is a privilege…”. I feel the same about life. So, make something of it.
Second – send support. If you have means to donate money, I have included links below to help Boston victims, as well as Carrie Everdyke and her family.
More importantly, donating yourself is free. Take a moment to say a prayer. Tweet a message. Light a candle. Jot a blog post. We are all made up of energy – love and support do make a difference.
And finally, words of advice for us all (present company included). At the end of the day, no one will remember what shoes you were wearing, what exclusive resort you vacationed or whether you drove a Ferrari or a Ford. I have yet to hear a eulogy listing all of the “it” restaurants someone dined at – or – the amount of twitter followers they had.
Live your eulogy now and be the person you want people to remember you for being – not the person you think people want you to be.
In the fine words of Batman via the Dork Knight’s Jason O’Connell, “”It’s not who I am underneath, but what I DO that defines me.”
HELP CARRIE and HER FAMILY:
http://www.youcaring.com/other/what-the-caterpillar-calls-the-end-of-the-world-the-butterfly-calls-a-new-beginning/53163
HELP BOSTON:
Donate to the Boston Children’s Hospital – they are still caring for two critically injured children: http://www.childrenshospital.org/
Donate to the Salvation Army: https://donate.salvationarmyusa.org/
Donate to the American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/charitable-donations/
If you were in or around the marathon yesterday, be sure to register at the Red Cross Safe and Well list, so loved ones know you are ok: https://safeandwell.communityos.org/zf/safe/add
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