Monday, April 22, 2013

a love letter to the city of boston

 





 

 

i have a heavy heart like many of you do. we were away in maine staying at my parent's house last week when all the horror unraveled in boston. to those families that lost their loved ones and to the 140 and more that were injured i say prayers of comfort and peace. it is so very sad.

i wanted to share some pictures that capture the beauty of that beloved city. we lived in belmont, massachusetts  from 2006-2010. josh worked in watertown, massachusetts and i worked in cambridge, mass. so the events that unfolded hit way to close to home. 

i'm sure you all are trying to deal with the awful events of last week not only in boston, but in texas and china as well. as i struggle to deal with what occurred i thought i would write a little letter to the city of boston. i want love to prevail. i changed a great deal as a result of living there and it has been always been there when our family has needed her the most.

dear boston, 

thank you for providing cutting edge medical care to my father in 1981 at massachusetts general hospital when he found out he was born with a leaking heart valve and had to have open heart surgery.

thank you for not blushing and being so cool when my modest mother nursed my baby brother in public for the first time in quincy market. my uncle saw a bee on her boob and swatted it away, dropping the blanket and exposing her for all to see.

thank you for opening my mind. changing the way i think about politics.

thank you for having an awesome aquarium that my family visited when i was younger and jump started a love for marine biology within me.

thank you for providing the best medical care at beth israel hospital when i had preterm contractions at 27 weeks and had to be on hospital bed rest for 1 month before k + r were born. dr. takoudes, and nurses maya and radka i'm talking to you. 
 
thank you to fresh pond, mount auburn cemetery, and arnold arboretum for offering a refuge from our busy lives and urban surroundings and providing a peaceful place to go. 

thank you for adding culture to our lives. the mfa, isabella stewart gardner museum, the ica, and the harvard museum of natural history. these institutions are a huge happy place for our family.

thank you for your focus on historical preservation that maintains the city's character and offers a sense of place.

thank you for not laughing when i rode the t bus for the first time and fell in the woman's lap next to me.

thank you for being the home to pizzeria regina, the best pizza i have ever tasted. 

thank you for being a city that is strong, efficient, and intelligent. 

thank you for taking care of my baby girls when they were born 2 months early.

thank you to the first responders that ran to the heart of the danger instead of running away.  

thank you for all these things and many more. i love with you with all my heart. 

6 comments:

  1. Beautiful post, Molly. My sister lived in Boston for many years until just a few months ago- it's definitely a special city.

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  2. Beautiful post. Boston has been my home since I moved here fourteen years ago. I now live in the suburbs, but as you know, the eastern half of this state is populated by Bostonians. I love it for many of the same reasons, and it is even more special to me now. Last week was tragic and intense, but I am grateful for the inspiration and heroism and kindness and optimism that everyone here has shown.

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  3. This is beautiful Molly. I used to live in Cambridge too, for a little while at the Charles Hotel :)
    I pray that we all respond to these events with love, not more hate.
    xx Jessica

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  4. So beautiful, Molly. I too feel a strong sense of place. I always find myself searching for books and movies where the city, town or country is the main character. The places we live play such a huge part of our lives. I have only been to Boston once. It's a great city, you are lucky to have it be part of your story. My heartbreaks for everyone, even for the place itself. xx

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  5. thanks so much, ladies. sending love to you all and it's comforting to know we are all interconnected.

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  6. Thanks for your heartfelt post on Boston. I too love the city and it's people. I went to school there and later lived in Boston with my husband and daughters. (Five places all told)
    I hit the ground running when I go back to visit.
    Bostonian are a strong group.
    xxmb

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