Drinking to Distraction

Like a lot of people, I am having a hard time making sense of what happened yesterday. Though I grew up in New York, I was living in Boston at the time of the 9/11 attacks. I sat in my office looking out the window at the planes leaving Logan airport, until they stopped. Boston was my home for 14 years, specifically the Back Bay area, where the marathon comes to a finish.

Now that I’m living in New York again, it’s difficult to comprehend the terror and melee that occurred yesterday in my former home town. It’s difficult to understand what was going on in the minds of the people who likely started planning this atrocity at about the same time thousands of others started establishing training goals, buying new sneakers, and setting their sites on April 15, 2013.

I know this happens every day and has been seemingly forever. I know that beautiful, innocent 8-year-olds like Martin Richard of Dorchester, who was with his mom and two siblings watching his father finish the race, are lost every day. I am saddened by my own inability to feel the loss that happens in faraway locations as deeply and those closer to me. Not unlike a conservative senator who can only support marriage equality when he makes the connection with his own gay son, sometimes this is what is necessary to open our eyes:

I’m finding some comfort in the following and thought you might too:

A response from the Dalai Lama:

I’m not yet ready to comment on the tragedy of this day.

I think there will be many comments, perhaps too many…the ‘How could this happen’s’ and ‘What kind of monster could do just this’s”—though that dialogue may become an integral part of our healing, I pray that as these hours unfold, we will all move forward towards a true and compassionate understanding.

But for now, I—and I believe I speak for everyone else here at elephant journal—send out all of our collective love, and best energy…to heal the hearts of those who need it most.

And, may these hearts not ever lose hope.

To all the beautiful souls needing love tonight—you have mine…and most unconditionally.

Namaste.

This Facebook status update from a friend:

My response to evil, tragedy & wrongdoing, as it has always been, is to go out into the world & spread even more happiness & compassion than the day before.

And the growing number of stories of the helpers, the people who ran toward the wreckage instead of away, the people who offered homes, help, and kindness.

I send my love and compassion to the Richard family and all of those affected by yesterday’s tragedy. As I try to make sense of this all, I will continually try to open rather than shut down.

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