A note on what happened in Boston and Watertown

Poster found on Facebook. I thought it pretty much summed it up.

This has been quite a week, especially for those of us in the Boston area. First the bombings at the marathon, followed by a few days of processing and trying to heal, then the day of terror yesterday. I live in Watertown, about 1-2 miles from where everything happened yesterday, and I just wanted to extend my thanks to the police and officials who worked so hard to ensure our city is safe. I commend them for not only capturing the suspect, but capturing him alive. I thank God that no one else had to die to come to this, the best outcome we could hope for.

Yesterday was a very scary day. It all started at just before 3 a.m., when we got a reverse 911 call warning us of an incident in progress and telling us to stay in our homes. We immediately started following the news, huddling underneath our comforter on the floor, away from the windows. It continued into the day. We were all in lock down, afraid to leave our houses for fear of accidentally running into a terrorist described as armed and extremely dangerous. I would get spooked by normal things, like a car driving by (seriously, why are you driving around Watertown, go home), people walking around, or a gust of wind that sounded like it could be a far-off explosion. At one point someone was bouncing a basketball next door, and I got very worried. I made my husband check to see if our basement door was locked, apparently twice. We were all on edge. I couldn't even concentrate to read to get my mind off things until late into the afternoon, when I read maybe 20 pages in a Virgin River book.

Watching the news coverage, I recognized the stores I pass on a daily basis, the Armenian shops and bakeries where I buy food, streets that are just around the corner from my church. It was surreal.

And when they finally ended it, when it was all over, I was so happy to see the celebrating citizens on Mt. Auburn Street. I wanted to go join them, but at that point I was too exhausted and was happy to just spend the evening at home with my husband and our friends who lived in the apartment downstairs. It was a long day, but it ended in relief, celebration, and knowing that we were being protected by a dedicated and excellent police force.

So thank you, Massachusetts police, thank you Watertown police especially. Thank you to God. Thank you to everyone who worked to make sure we are once again safe in this city we love.