Boston, Massachusetts.
“This is our fucking city.” – David Ortiz
David Ortiz’s words in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing were a rallying cry for a city that just had it’s whole world flipped upside down.
On April 15, 2013 two cowardly young men took the lives of 4 and the peace of mind of countless others with an act of terror on Boston’s biggest day.
Boston bounces back
Since that day, Boston has done what Boston does…
Rally together and pick each other up.
In 2015, Mayor Marty Walsh and the City of Boston officially dubbed April 15th as “One Boston Day.” A day to remember. A day to reflect. A day to do good.
The most amazing thing about OBD is that rather than becoming a day that very easily could have been marked by sadness, it has instead become a day of resiliency and spreading kindness.
Thousands take to their local communities to perform acts of kindness and charity. The impact the survivors have had is absolutely outstanding.
For the past few years, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have the pleasure of working with Hill Holliday and the City of Boston to share some of the heroic stories of the survivors. This year, on the 5th anniversary of the bombings you can visit onebostonday.org to see the stories of 3 unbelievably amazing survivors and heroes. They’ll make you smile and make you cry all at the same time.
The greatest city in the world
As I’ve traveled for this past year, I’ve lived in 12 different cities and visited dozens of others. I think it is now safe to say that it took this trip around the world for me to realize I was already living in the greatest city in the world.
They often say that “Boston is a brotherhood” and that statement was never more apparent than in the aftermath of the marathon bombing.
Bostonians are tough.
They are loyal.
They are passionate.
You take a shot at ONE of us, you pick a fight with ALL of us.
Over the past year I’ve tried to carry the spirit of Boston with me wherever I went. To share the the personality of a city I love very dearly with all of the different communities I’ve entered.
My challenge to you
Those who were impacted by the events of April 15th will never get their lives back, they’ll never get their legs back, but you won’t see a single complaint out of any of them. What you will see, however, are new foundations being started, money being raised and hope being spread.
That’s all it is, really. Hope and kindness. It’s picking up the guy next to you; it’s giving other’s the push to keep going, the promise of a brighter tomorrow. That’s what Bostonians are all about. That’s what One Boston Day is all about.
5 years later and Bostonians haven’t changed at all. If anything, they’re more loving and kinder than ever before.
So, today, on April 15th, One Boston Day, I challenge each and every one of you to be a bit more Boston. We all know the world could use it right about now.
For you daily dose of goosebumps. The best national anthem ever.