The Comfort Dogs...

 Edward is heading to Boston tomorrow for a long weekend, long planned, long looking forward to spending some time w/ his college friends. I think that right now Boston is probably one of the safest cities given the horrific events at the Marathon. For me, I am just now starting to feel this latest nightmare. I have sat, w/out emotion for hours in front of the TV, watching Anderson Cooper and the 'group' @ CNN, I have watched the World News, I have looked @ the photos over and over, I am reading the stories of Jeff Bauman Jr., who lost both of his legs below the knee, the heartbreaking glimpse into the short life of Martin Richard. I am listening to the doctors and nurses who treated the gravely injured men women and children, experiencing trauma themselves @ the sight of the extensive casualties they have so brilliantly treated. I am hearing brave the stories of heroism over and over and over again. I am just starting to feel. I am so grateful that my Family and Friends back East are all safe. Life is so fragile.

This morning on MSN, I saw the 'smiling' face of a beautiful Golden retriever, a comfort dog. One of the many dogs being 'dispatched' to Boston to help the families of those injured, to help the doctors and nurses who are themselves in need of comfort, to help anyone who needs some cheering up.  Two of the dogs, Addy and Maggie are coming directly from Newton, and will be doing what they are trained to do w/ their uncanny ability to discern 'sadness'. So, today, I am feeling. I am feeling sad, but honestly just the sight of the comfort dogs helped me...maybe I'll run into a Golden as the day goes. Hey you never know what the day will bring.

So here is to all the heroes, to all of the first responders, to all of the gravely injured (may they heal and live full lives), to those who lost their lives (we pray unyielding, unceasing comfort for their Families), to those who saved so many, to the dispatched comfort dogs, to Edward having a safe trip to Boston.