Lights Out

This morning I had the idea to do a nod to Earth Hour and spend some time tonight without using lights or technology in the hopes that it would become a weekly tradition. I thought of this in terms of the environment and teaching the kids about what it means to save electricity. My idea however, turned out to have quite a different effect after today's events at the Boston Marathon. Today, sitting in the candlelight, I watched  as Franky played with Play Doh and Lilia painted. She started to sing these lyrics from Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World", which she learned last year in kindergarten:

"The colors of the rainbow,
So pretty in the sky.
Are also on the faces,
Of people going by,
I see friends shaking hands.
Saying, "How do you do?"
They're really saying,
"I love you".

It was in that moment that I realized I refuse to buy into the notion that we live in a "crazy world" where we should live in constant fear. For every person that wants to do evil, there are a million that want to do good. I wasn't moved today by bombs going off, but rather by the first responders who without hesitation, ran to help others. The otherwise strangers, consoling some and carrying others. No, I won't be teaching my children to be fearful, but rather, powerful. I don't feel helpless in the wake of tragedy and I don't want them to grow up feeling that way either. I won't avoid traveling or  crowds or large events out of fear. Life is meant to be lived. It's said that people come together during a tragedy and that is true, but I see people coming together every day to help one another for the greater good. That's the world I live in.