Boston Comes Together In Tragedy
By Pamela Cyran 04-16-2013
WEBN Staff Photo
She traveled all the way from Sturbridge to give 26 daffodils.
Tonight, Louie Cohn came to the vigil on the Boston Common to offer her support. Hundreds of people gathered on the Common around 6 p.m. for prayer and reflection after yesterday’s marathon bombing. The explosions killed three people and injured over 170 more. The vigil lasted well into darkness while candles lit the crowd’s faces.
“I came to give away 26 flowers as 26 random acts of kindness for the 26 miles of the Boston Marathon and the 26 people who lost their lives in Newton, CT,” said Cohn.
The 58-year-old woman had recently bought a new house. The daffodils came from her garden. Cohn said they bloomed just in time.
Marathon runner Lizzie Lee from Washington cried when she received Cohn’s gift.
“A beautiful lady came to me and told me ‘take this flower. I am giving 26 flowers away to 26 people in representation of the 26 miles.’ And then she broke, and I broke,” said Lee.
This was Lee’s first time running the Boston Marathon. All she could think about was her daughter back in Venezuela. Lee’s daughter had cancelled her trip to Boston because she wanted to vote in her country’s presidential election held Sunday, April 14.
“My first thought was, she would’ve been there, and I couldn’t let that go until this morning,” said the 56-year-old Lee. “My running partner told me, ‘who would have thought your daughter was safer today in Venezuela than in Boston.’”
Lee was turning onto Boylston Street when the bombs exploded.
“You hear the bomb and you don’t think,” said Lee. “As soon as I turned onto Boylston I saw the smoke and the finish line, and I then stopped and I broke. I mean I really sat in the street.”
Despite yesterday’s tragedy, Lee hopes to run in the marathon again.
“Absolutely I will. I hope to qualify and come back. I would not think twice,” said Lee.
Lee said tonight’s vigil confirms her belief that most people are inherently good.
“Just to be here you see that, people want to be together and want to help each other,” she said.
Cohn had the same sentiments after being at the vigil.
“There are way more good people on this planet than there are bad, and if we learned anything from being here tonight, we need to learn that to not let fear win,” said Cohn. “Boston’s better than that.”
Lee said she would never forget the acts of kindness that she witnessed, especially her yellow daffodil.
“I told [Cohn] this is my marathon medal.”