When people ask me if I remember 9/11, I can only think of faint images of buildings burning on the television. After all, I was only a 5-year-old child in kindergarten then. But I’ll always be able to clearly recall April 15, 2013, the day that suspects Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev planted two bombs at the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

There’s no question as to what the Tsarnaev brothers accomplished that afternoon—terrorism—by directing harm towards innocent civilians. Three people were killed, and 183 were injured. It was a difficult day for America.

But the harsh reality is that what happened in Boston that day is what happens everyday in other countries around the world.  According to Syrian TV in late February, a bomb exploded in central Damascus, killing 13 people. Suspects include the Jabhat al-Nusra, an opposition group against President Bashar Assad. The country has also suffered from continuous car bombs and suicide attacks. “Boston bombings represent a sorrowful scene of what happens everyday in Syria,” read a Syrian banner. “Do accept our condolences.”

We’re all aware that no country is ever completely safe from terrorism, but it’s difficult to fully register this until it literally hits home. What we need to remember, however, is that every innocent life lost as a result of terrorism is a tragedy in and of itself, no matter the origin or cause, and no matter how in-depth the media chooses to cover it.

In no way am I intending to undermine the sadness and support with which we all responded to the Boston bombings. I’m so glad we did. My sister and her fiancé live in Boston, and it brought me and my family comfort to know that they were in millions of peoples’ thoughts and prayers.

But I want to communicate that if you’re going to be informed, be engaged—not just in domestic events but also in international ones. You may not be able to immediately relate to those on the opposite side of the world in race, ethnicity or religion, but understand that American rights aren’t universal rights, and recognize that it’s a blessing to be an American.

I don’t know about you, but I’m thankful to live in a country where I trust the authorities, where calling the police means calling for protection, where justice is served and where I can freely write this article under my inherent Freedom of Speech that the Founding Fathers advocated for almost 250 years ago.

We as Americans are lucky to live in a nation where in the battle between the people and tragedy, the people always pull through with incredible resolve and an incredible support system. For every death the Boston bombings resulted in, millions mourned. Mass killings in America result in reform rather than more killings; after 9/11, the government mandated safer airway measures, and after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, passionate debate over gun control.

This is what living in a land of opportunity means.

I’m not asking for you to attempt to understand every international tragedy that occurs—it’s impossible to rationalize the seemingly irrational. But check CNN or Amnesty International half as many times as you check your Facebook or Twitter newsfeeds. Even then, some media may deem certain mass killings are foreign, and thus nonessential. But rest assured at night knowing that those who sacrificed their lives that day were in someone’s thoughts and prayers.

-Amy