It’s been two months since the Boston Marathon bombings tore through the city’s Back Bay, but it was only a few days ago that I returned to one of my favorite neighborhoods.

Two months is an unusually long time between quick trips. I live and work about 15 miles south of Boston, so I’m usually in and out of the city on a fairly regular basis to shop and visit with friends and family.

I was running a few minutes late, keeping an eye on the clock, when I noticed an unexpected feeling of unease creeping into my consciousness. When I realized I was experiencing a touch of trepidation at crossing Boylston Street en route to my appointment at the top of Newbury Street near Mass. Ave., I shook myself out of my foolishness and drove the streets I know so well.

Back Bay is my neighborhood. It’s where my father worked for 30 years and I worked for four summers while in college. It’s where my sister-in-law lives with her husband and two kids. It’s where my grandmother took me to ride the Swan Boats in the Public Garden. It’s where we celebrated my father’s 80^th birthday at the Top of the Hub.

It’s also where three people died and more than 200 were grievously injured on April 15. The Boston Globe gives those of us who live in the Boston area regular updates about people recovering from injuries sustained in the bombings. 

Carolyn Reich and Christian Williams, a couple who were both seriously injured in the bombings, learned they are expecting a baby — long-awaited good news — while they were recovering in separate hospitals.

Jeff Bauman, who lost both legs as a result of injuries sustained in the bombings, is facing life with unimaginable spirit, and has forged a friendship with the man who wheeled him to medical care, Carlos Arredondo.

My heart broke a little bit as I walked along Boylston Street, intentionally navigating through the bombing sites and understanding I was passing over the place where so many people had been hurt in a senseless act of violence. I realized the best tribute to those who are so bravely facing their irretrievably altered lives is to continue our lives as usual. People filled the alfresco restaurants; shoppers wandered in and out of shops, and tourists posed for photos. 

Our best tribute to those who lost life and limb is to live without fear.

— Lisa Matte, editor in chief