Thursday, June 25, 2015

Healing in Body, Mind and Spirit

Lynn Julian, Actress
Scott Weisberg, Physician 
Yesterday angel-faced terrorist Dzhokhar Tarnaev officially received his death sentence for his part in the Boston Marathon massacre.    But I wasn't nearly as interested in Tarnaev as I was in the victims who were interviewed afterward.

Beautiful actress Lynn Julian who lives a block from the finish line, suffered hearing loss, traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.  All invisible wounds.

Likewise, Scott Weisberg, a doctor, who also lost his hearing, suffered a traumatic brain injury and  PTSD, said that his patients and others in his life have no idea what he faces every day.
Henry Borgard, Student

But Lynn and Scott are working to get well.  They've continued to run in the marathon and are active in their support groups.  They both agreed that Tarnaev's apology at his sentencing was not believable.

The third interviewee, Henry Borgard, was not a runner but  a 21 year old college student simply walking to class on April 15, 2013 when the second bomb exploded.  I don't know the extent of his injuries but he now gets around with a service dog.

Henry said, The past 2 years have been hell.  No words could ever do justice to the atrocities that the Tsarnaev brothers committed.

But Henry has a different take on Tsarnaev than Lynn and Scott, whom he referred to as his "compatriots."

He said he couldn't believe that Tsarnaev is two years younger than he is.  Henry also said he forgives Tsarnaev.

  The folks who can't fathom this "forgiveness" concept sometimes just don't understand it.  Henry doesn't want Tsarnaev to be set free and certainly doesn't justify any of the evil he did.  But Henry wants to let go of the hate.  Here are Henry's words:

For me to hear him say that he's sorry, that is enough for me, and I hope, because I still have faith in humanity, including him, I hope that his words are genuine.  I hope that they were heartfelt.  I hope that they were as honest as the statements you heard today in court from victims and survivors.

My personal wish is for Lynn, George and Henry to continue to heal in body, mind and spirit.  I believe they will.



***