Thoughts for Boston

Boston always has a pretty special place in my heart - I never quite considered the city to be my home but I did spend a fair amount of time there, on and off for almost one year between 2000-2002. It's a place I shared good and bad memories - including that Tuesday morning when I saw on TV two planes smashed into the Twin Towers, and then because of that I was stranded here for more than 2 weeks afterwards. Nonetheless I was always amazed at the beautiful scenery and rich history this city has to offer, not to mention the many delicious food and drinks and the vibrant social life I got to enjoy while living there - time passed and many of those are still vivid in my memory. It's still one of my favorite American cities.

More often than not I stayed at Copley Place when I was there - right around the finishing line of the Marathon and not far away from where the bombs went off yesterday actually, so in a sense it does feel like my own neighborhood was under attack and I feel the shock and sorrow as many in Boston has gone through seeing the scene of chaos with people running for their lives and injured being wheeled into ambulance. This is why today, my heart and prayers particularly go to the city of Boston and its people.

So far, 3 people died - including a 8-year-old kid - and hundreds injured, but it affected far more beyond that and the negative feeling may last for a while. I am sure some may even feel like living through the 911 anxiety all over again. But it's important we let our lives go on, not because of indifference to those who suffered but with resolve and in stern defiance, and say loudly to those evils who did this - we should not let such cowardly act and whoever did this terrible thing have their ways in inflicting fears on us. We are far better than that.

I salute to those first responders and volunteers and helpers on the work they have done on treating the injured, comforting those mourn and were worried, keeping everyone safe and trying to bring everything back to normal as soon as possible. May God bless you and be with you all.