United We Stand.

Today's Marketing Cookie is about standing united.

If there's something at which I am very good, very practiced, and very dedicated, it's being a Red Sox fan. Although our beloved Red Sox never won the World Series throughout my father's entire lifetime, he passed his love for the home team to me, so that I may carry the torch on his behalf. Part of the tradition of rooting for the Red Sox is to also despise the Yankees and root against any sports team from New York. They were our greatest enemy, and from the time I was a little kid, I understood the storied rivalry between the Red Sox and the Yankees.

When I founded my first company in 1998, I had the season tickets and went to nearly every home game. In 2003, I joined a new company that also had season tickets, so I let go of mine. As you know, the very next season was when the Red Sox finally broke the curse of the Great Bambino. It had been an eighty-six-year-old drought, but they did it! They came back from an impossible 3-0 deficit to defeat the Yankees, made light work of the World Series, and finally became World Champions again! Although the Boston Red Sox had finally defeated the Yankees, the great rivalry with New York has continued... until yesterday.

The Boston Marathon is the oldest and most prestigious sporting event in the world. On Monday, after the Red Sox game had let out and thousands of runners were crossing the finish line, someone set off two bombs, killing three people and wounding over 180 runners and spectators. It was a senseless act of terror, tarnishing the innocence of Boston's greatest sports day of the year.

Shortly after the bombs went off on Boylston Street, my thoughts went back to the horrific events of September 11, 2001, the Oklahoma City bombing, dozens of mass shootings, and so many other terrible events that have been acted out against unarmed, innocent citizens. These victims are our friends, our neighbors, and they are members of our family. My heart was broken with sorrow for the loved ones we've lost, and I felt afraid. Yes. As I watched the video of the bombs going off, I feared the next bombing, or dreaded the next mass shooting. I felt afraid because, as hard as our police and government are working to keep us safe, I feared that these attacks cannot be prevented.

Less than 24 hours after the bombing, my fear and anger were actively consuming me. I couldn't find peace with what had happened until I saw the banner that had been boldly displayed on top of Yankee Stadium. When I saw the sign, "United We Stand," displaying both the Red Sox and Yankees logos, our long-standing rival had become our greatest friend.

Like no one else could, our friends in New York truly understand how we feel. I remembered the great tragedy the people of New York endured from the attack on the World Trade Center, and I realized again that we are always there for one another. It comes as great comfort to have friends who know what you're going through, who are willing to mourn with you, and help you back to your feet when you've been knocked down.

While I have always been, and always will be a Red Sox fan, I am also proud to be the newest Yankees fan. It really is as today's fortune says, "The true way to soften one's troubles is to solace those of others." United we stand!