Tomorrow morning I will drive my husband to Hopkinton where he will start the Boston Marathon, and I will head back to the finish line to cheer him on as he crosses. Last year, he was stopped at mile 25 when the tragic events of the marathon happened. I was in the bleachers waiting for him.  It is such an emotional memory, one that I actually can’t write about much here today because the tears won’t stop once they start.  I will say that not a day goes by that I don’t think about the events of that afternoon and how it changed so many of us forever, but I also think about resilience and the strength to overcome. I think about how I have become more focused on surrounding myself with positive people and creating a more focused and thoughtful journey. I think about the amazing spirit of a city that was devastated by loss and sadness, yet still perseveres.  I think about the families who lost loved ones and of the victims and how hard they have fought to recover from their injuries. I think about how the actions of vile and hateful people did not break the spirit of so many others. I think about how love is more powerful than hate and how proud I will be to cheer on the survivors and those like my husband that are running their hearts out to raise money for charity.

It will not be an easy thing to go back to the finish line, and I know there will be more than a few bursts of tears and a little bit of fear, but I will not let my last memory there be the one it is now. I will not let fear keep me from witnessing the power of the human spirit. My husband’s little brother Danny, my besties Ann and Ani and my cousin Justin have all reached out to share in the day with me so that I will not be alone – together we are Team Alexis and we are Boston Strong. In the words of Big Papi: “This Is Our F*cking City”. Have a great run, runners!!! And to my Alexis, I am so proud of you.