Imagine waking up the day of your first marathon.  You are proud to be participating in the world’s oldest annual marathon, watched by hundreds of thousands of spectators.  You have trained for this, dieted for this, and are ready.  You make it through the race, ready to cross the finish line, and then a loud noise goes off and smoke fills your lungs.

I had another blog post planned for today, but after hearing the news of the bombing in Boston there was nothing else to write about.  Watching the images of the scene is nothing but tragic.  Women and men of all ages covered in cuts and blood.  People being taken away in stretchers, and loaded into ambulances.  Smoke billowed into the air, filling the streets where proud athletes should have been celebrating.  Two explosions went off at the finish line of the race.  As of now two people have been declared dead, and 23 people have been injured. Up to date news here.

To get a complete understanding of how significant this bombing was, you need an understanding of what Patriots Day and the Boston Marathon mean to the people of Boston.

Many of the injured have been training for months to prepare for this big event.  The Boston Marathon is the world’s oldest annual marathon.  It ranks as one of the world’s best known road races.  People come from all around the world to participate in the Boston Marathon each year.  In addition to those participating, an estimated 500,000 spectators gather to witness the race.  It is actually New England’s most widely viewed sporting event, which is a tremendous feat being that the Patriots play in the city.

The Boston Marathon always takes place on Patriot’s Day.  The holiday commemorates the anniversary of the battle of Lexington and Concord, which was for those of you who don’t know, the first battles of the Revolutionary War.  The city of Boston has declared Patriot’s Day a civic holiday, with children off from school and many people off of work.

As of now we do not know what caused the explosions or who was at fault.  The FBI’s bomb experts are on their way to Boston to investigate the scene.  Luckily for those at the scene, emergency personal are always located near by during marathon races.  Many lives could be saved thanks to the emergency vehicles and personal who responded.

I pray for the families effected by the explosions, and for those who lost their lives for no reason.  This situation is just another incident that demonstrates how fragile life truly is.