It’s been weird here in my city.

Every year, Marathon Monday has been truly one of my favorite days in my hometown.  There was a tradition.

Wake up early (on my day off).  Take the Red Line to Park Street Station.   Contemplate taking the Green Line to Fenway Park.  See massive crowds of people trying to get on the Green Line.  Decide against it. Walk 40 minutes down the Commonwealth Avenue Mall to Fenway Park.  Watch some baseball. Have some beers. Eat a Fenway Frank (or 2).  Watch the marathon runners as they complete their grueling 26.2 miles. Go home, happy, content, with the memories of yet another awesome Marathon Monday.

When we were in college, Pants and I often shared this tradition.   It  included a “Marathon Marathon” Pub Crawl down Boylston Street the Sunday before the race, complete with t-shirts and general shenanigans and tom-foolery.

This year, much of my tradition remained the same…with the exception of the ending.

Instead of coming home happy, content, with great memories, I went home scared and unsettled, my eyes constantly on the verge of tears.

For reasons yet unknown, someone chose to shatter this amazing day in my city with two unspeakable acts of violence.

They chose to attack innocent men, women, children who were simply out enjoying a Boston tradition.  They were there to cheer on their friends, family, and total strangers who had come from all over the world to participate in this most storied sporting event.

As the days have passed, the outpouring of love for my city has been amazing, especially from the hockey community and from you, our readers.

Without a doubt, hockey players (especially the Bruins) are the most humble athletes and the most ensconced in the community.  I know that they feel our pain just as deeply and as acutely.  They live in our neighborhoods, eat in our restaurants, drink at our bars, and get involved in the city’s charitable organizations.   Although they might not be from Boston or even from the United States, they are ALL Bostonians.

Yesterday’s game vs the Sabres was a welcome respite from the relentless media coverage and a way to take my mind off of everything.

In the end, the Bruins secured a playoff spot despite the shoot-out loss, but what the game really represented was a way for our community to come together and find strength in one another through this sport that we all love.

For us, hockey is a part of who we are, not only as bloggers but as people.

And it will help us all heal.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”  

~ Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.