Stay Positive and Love One Another...

The images on TV this afternoon reminded me of those from 9/11 when we saw the plumes of debris racing down the street after the tower collapsed. It gave me the same sinking feeling in my stomach. I saw the first images, inside a client's restaurant, just minutes after getting a text from my daughter that she was locked in her office after hearing two loud bangs and not knowing what was going on. She had texted me earlier this morning with a picture of the marathon runners going down Boyleston outside her office window and it looked like a beautiful day for a marathon in Boston.

My thought was that there was a gunman loose on her campus, in Boston, since there has been many shootings on campuses in the past few years.  We hadn't had the radio on but immediately turned it on, scanning furiously through the stations to get word of what was happening. We couldn't find out anything.

  Then I walked into the restaurant and the TV there was covering it. I had to pull myself away from it to get my head back into the frame of mind to work with this advertiser on the renewal of her ad. It was pretty tough to pull my thoughts together. Cell phone service was cut in Boston so my daughter wasn't able to text anymore from her phone but she was able to get a message to me from another phone that she was ok and was on her way home.

When something like this happens, it's really hard to wrap our heads around it. I truly believe that Americans are loving and caring people who look out for another and come together when things like this happen. Our life on the road, since 2007 confirms this. We've always felt safe and have seen many times where people rise to the occasion to help one another. In 2000, I took a trip, by myself, from Pennsylvania to the heartland of America, on my trike. I couldn't even begin to tell you how many women came up to me, when I would stop at rest areas to stretch, and asked if I was truly traveling alone and wasn't I afraid. I wasn't and told them so. So many people do not step out of their comfort zone to try anything new or go somewhere they haven't been to because of fear of the unknown. If it was known to you....it wouldn't be as big a gift to you. Do not be afraid of one another, of new things, of new experiences, of life ! Live it fully and in the moment. Be vigilant of your surroundings....be confident and act wisely but don't let the fear of the unknown or "what might be"  keep you stuck. There is so much good in this world and so much love to share with others. Keep the faith that tomorrow will be a better day and that we'll get through this together. Our hearts go out to those who have lost their lives or were injured. Hold them in your thoughts and prayers but don't let today's events keep you from stepping out, reaching out and being the person that you were meant to be. Go out and share yourself with the world.....