We had a Carlton Shuffle in the works as per usual. But sitting here following nearly a full day’s worth of additional terror in the Boston area, it just didn’t feel right to go with our usual playlist. I thought about throwing together something a bit more meaningful, but time, energy, and thought evade me. It’s been a week of such intense emotion, trauma, and testing of our individual and collective spirit. From my vantage point, that spirit remains unbroken. We watched as runners, volunteers, and spectators at Monday’s marathon ran toward explosions to help their fellow men and women who’d fallen. We watched a nation struggle to process Monday’s senseless acts of violence, only to withstand the industrial tragedy in West Texas that claimed 14 lives and injured 200 individuals. Our wounded hearts were further tested with the events of the last 24 hours that put the entire region on alert. We watched as local, state, and national enforcement officers worked cautiously, skillfully, and tirelessly to protect citizens, and to apprehend  the suspects. We listened and watched, mouths agape, while these men and women dodged bullets and explosives in the name of the spirit of Boston and its people. Although the story is not over, Boston and the country sleep a bit easier tonight, filled with pride for their public servants and for our unbreakable spirit.

So friends, I leave you this week not with a Carlton Shuffle, but with a single song born of Boston natives that seems to capture the spirit of the moment. There is evil in the world, and there is much pain. But we have look out for one another. We need to foster unity and care for each other. We need to sing.