I woke up this morning to the news that the Boston Marathon had been bombed. I remembered friends and family who were participating in the races and my heart just dropped. It seemed very surreal and I wanted to call into work, head down to the embassy and wait for a bit of news. Then, I remembered I had a few students who had family and friends in Boston as well. I thought maybe I should go in and see if they needed any support or just someone to listen.
I didn't understand the full capacity of what had happened until I came into school and hopped on CNN and BBC. I saw a few of my students and asked them if they'd heard the news. I watched as they stared at the footage, eyes widening every time another blast was heard. They looked horrified and one pulled out her cell phone and immediately began dialing her family in the states, while others used "Google person search" to locate their loved ones. One student just kept saying "I don't understand, why did this happen, who would do this." I was at a total loss for words. I left the room briefly to calm down an upset student and when I came back I was amazed with what I saw.
A group of my students, many of whom have a very low English level and certainly were not fully aware of what happened, were praying. They had taken the worried Americans, held their hands and calmed them down. I immediately felt safe and surrounded by warmth and positivity. "Is teacher Maggie worried" they asked, motioning me over to their prayer circle. Their capacity to love one another, unconditionally and support each other in the midst of things that I can't explain, astounds me. Regularly, I hope that I am making an impact on them, not realizing they are the ones who continually impact and inspire me with their strength, compassion and courage.
