Every once in a while, I miss a train or a bus and feel sorry for myself. I get caught in the rain without an umbrella. I oversleep and don’t have time to eat breakfast. I complain and everyone and their mother is invited to my pity party.

Then far too often, tragic, unimagineable events take place like the shooting in Aurora, or in Newtown. The most recent bombings at the Boston Marathon have news and social media sites buzzing.

In an instant, cheers and joy turned to horror, both in Boston and online. Facebook posts went from friends commenting on the race, applauding their favorite runners, to statuses expressing shock, disgust, and fear. There is no explanation for why such tragedy occurs. No justifiable reason for it. Nothing that can be done to ease the pain of those who lost loved ones.

The only thing I can think to do is be grateful. I am alive, have a great job, have family and friends that love and care about me. I am healthy. Today, I made it from A to B without being harmed. I can be thankful for all those things and remember that there is someone out there who doesn’t have everything that I have.

My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone who was present at the Boston Marathon today and lost loved ones. I wish their pain and anguish could be taken away. For everyone else, I wish them gratitude.