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By Randy Gardner

I had a few things in mind to write about in this column including the Blues, the Cardinals, and the Rams but then an event happens that changes the complexion of what sports mean in this world.

I always believed that sports shape the way the world things and acts but I hate when it shapes the way the world thinks because of  a negative action.

I am talking about the Boston Marathon.

On one hand, it was a terrible tragedy that is ruthless and totally uncalled for in mankind but on the other hand, we should be lucky that more people were not injured or killed. To see fellow humans injured the way they were shocks me to the bone. A day when all is supposed good, a lifetime of training coming to fruition as you come to the finish line and then the bomb and lives change forever.

There are so many photos and stories of the event, everyone portraying a different family an individual and how it impacted them, all touching in their own way.

Someone told me yesterday that many people train their entire lives for that one shot to run the Boston Marathon. They save up for the travel expenses, they get their mindset right weeks leading up to the event and then they are stopped before crossing the finish line. Even if it was just an eyeshot away from the finish, they did not complete it.

Is it important in the scheme of things? Not at all but the emphasis must be put on why these kind of events have to happen at all. God bless all of the families impacted by the tragedy and keep them in your prayers.

It’s really ironic but I just visited the web to get a few facts about the Cardinals for the second half of the column, and the first thing I saw on the search engine were new pictures from the Marathon of the chaos and the injuries. I hadn’t seen those pictures before just now and all I want to do is to hug my wife and kids and tell them I love them.

My Son Asked Why Every Player was Wearing “42.”

I know this is a sports column but sometimes an event can make you reconnect with what is important in life. I recall the moments I was able to spend with my oldest boy last night as we sat and watched the Cardinal-Pirates game, he asked why everybody had the same #42 jersey on.

I had a chance to talk history with him and why it is so important to the here and now and the future. As my oldest  went to bed, my littlest one climbed next to me and just cuddled up and watched the game with me.

I needed to give him no explanation of what we were watching. I could only hope that in the future, he will one day tell his kids that he used to sit on the couch and watch the ball game with his dad. I leave you with this—sports have a  forever impact both positively and negatively in life.

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