Prayers for the LL kids of Boston

In August 2002, shortly before my 39th birthday, my son Chance was born. Knowing I needed to get in shape to keep up with this child,  I decided I would run my first marathon that coming Spring and would run my second, the Marine Corps Marathon soon after his first birthday in the Fall of 2003. 

My goal was simple - Qualify for Boston.

I failed to do so in those two attempts but therein lies a blessing in that I became involved in what became an annual family tradition - raising money for cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. I became a member of the 2004 Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team and even better, my brother John joined me. For each of the next 5 years, 2004 through 2008 we made the journey to Boston after a winter filled with training and fundraising. I made lifelong friends along the way and connected with old friends I had long ago lost touch with. My relationship with my brother, always strong,  was cemented over the many miles of running and through the shared goal of raising money for a cause we grew to love. 

For each of those 5 marathons, Melissa and Chance waited for me somewhere near the finish and on at least one year waited right in the area where the blasts occurred. The toll of 10 marathons has necessitated that my fundraising is now done on a bike in the annual 192 mile Pan-Mass Challenge but my brother still runs. He ran his 9th straight Boston Marathon yesterday. He had finished more than an hour before the blasts and I was quite sure he was safe but the time until he contacted my mother to report he was okay was something I don't ever want to experience again.

I am overwhelmed reading the stories of those killed particularly that of an 8-year old boy. He played in the Savin Hill Little League for the Rangers which was Chance's first tee ball team. Like all our CHLL children he was no doubt looking forward to the Little League season and like any young boy he was happy to be off school on a beautiful spring day. 

Last night I ended our teams practice by telling the boys, as I always do, to go thank your parents for bringing you here and tonight to be extra sincere and grateful when you do.