Insanity and Tragedy

As I was typing the title, my blog post immediately changed. Despite its validity, suddenly my pain feels trivial... small... How can I feel so down on my life when true tragedy struck? As a Jew, I am not unaccustomed to terror. It rips through me when I hear about attacks in Israel. It's MY family. It's MY brother/sister/father/mother. It hits my heart. But today, terror hit my home. And it hit even closer, because it was close to something I identify with. There are few and far things in today's society that really speak for the strength of an individual and for a group, for the determination of accomplishment in a purer sense than what people believe is a real goal. A marathon is one of those things that draw people together towards a common goal, whether to reach the finish line or to raise money for a cause. I ran the Miami marathon for Team Lifeline a few years ago, and to say it was the most incredible experience of my life would be an understatement. There is something about a marathon, as physical as it may be, that simply elates me.
And for hundreds today, that elation became destruction. In a moment where personal and collective achievements would have been met, they were introduced to an even fiercer force- evil.
There is no other word for it. It simply was an act of evil. An action so devoid of anything good.  It created a scene of insanity. It brought about the most horrid tragedy.
And so, while I may be feeling upset about certain things, my pain is being put on hold and my heart is going north... I stand with those who were in the marathon. I stand with the runners, the warriors, the fighters....

To those affected by the explosions, I say, “Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up.”