A heartbreaking Marathon Monday - and tips on coping with tragedy

Yesterday was a gorgeous spring day in Boston, and we spent the day in and around our city exploring and laughing and enjoying the sights. We headed back to our suburb just before the Boston Marathon bombings happened, and I have to say that I had a hard time sleeping last night after consuming so much news and social media activity, and seeing so many graphic images. My mind kept playing out various scenarios. It likes to play the "what if..." game with me. I snuggled on the couch and patted my dog, wishing all of this was just a reality game show and not a harsh reality of the world we live in... where bad people exist and do bad things.

One thing that gave me comfort is good old Mr. Rogers. Every time I saw some horrific detail or image unfold, I remembered one of his famous quotes (image via Huffington Post):

Many thanks to my friend Lisa Mercurio, who passed along these wonderful tips from the American Red Cross on recovering emotionally after a tragedy:

- Take care of your safety. Find a safe place to stay and make sure your physical health needs and those of your family are addressed. Seek medical attention if necessary.

- Limit your exposure to the sights and sounds of disaster, especially on television, the radio and in the newspapers.

- Eat healthy. During times of stress, it is important that you maintain a balanced diet and drink plenty of water.

- Get some rest. With so much to do, it may be difficult to have enough time to rest or get adequate sleep. Giving your body and mind a break can boost your ability to cope with the stress you may be experiencing.

- Stay connected with family and friends. Giving and getting support is one of the most important things you can do. Try to do something as a family that you have all enjoyed in the past.

- Be patient with yourself and with those around you. Recognize that everyone is stressed and may need some time to put their feelings and thoughts in order. That includes you!

- Set priorities. Tackle tasks in small steps.

- Gather information about assistance and resources that will help you and your family members meet your disaster-related needs.

- Stay positive. Remind yourself of how you’ve successfully gotten through difficult times in the past. Reach out when you need support, and help others when they need it.

And here are more tips from WBUR on how to talk to your kids about bombs.

This is a sad day, and a teachable moment. Show kids by example how to cope, and how to be one of the helpers instead of one of the looters (yes, we had those, too). Like all life moments, we can tap into this for our tweens and teach them how important it is to move through life with love and not anger/revenge... and if you are feeling really ambitious, you can later teach about forgiveness.