In the wake of the tragedy of the Boston Marathon bombing, even those who were not at the scene are reeling from new emotions. Rage, confusion, sadness — and eventually, hope.
Part of the Patch mission is to strengthen communities and improve the lives of their residents, but it takes your voice to do this. Our Local Voices section allows members of the community to interact and post their views directly to the site. And many people have done just that.
For example, marathon runner Steve Cannon posted on his reaction to the Boston Marathon bombing. He said this tragedy will not deter or destroy the spirit of those who run, but will strengthen them to push even farther to honor those who were lost.
"Somewhere in each of us is a runner," Cannon wrote. "Tomorrow, and for days to come, more and more of us will lace up our shoes and head out to run in honor of all those who ran and those who stood innocently cheering them near the finish line Monday. I doubt that was the intent of this horrific act."
Another Patch contributor, Julie Olson, wrote about her little boy Henry making the connection between the runners at the marathon and his mom being a runner.
"Henry's first thought was 'Mommy runs,' which was followed by, 'What would have happened if she was there?'"
More than likely, what you're feeling is exactly what a neighbor down the street may be feeling. Sharing those feelings and questions can sometimes help bring things into perspective and we want to help.
If you're interested in posting on Patch, just click on the "Want to blog on Patch" button in the middle of the home page, or you can reach out to Community Editor Hunt Archbold for assistance.
Follow Patch's breaking coverage of the marathon bombing case from Boston