A MEMORIAL MURAL GRIEVING KIDS CONTRIBUTE.Byline: Nicholas Grudin Staff Writer GLENDALE - In the weeks following 9-11, Patrick Williams This article is about the American composer. For the Irish-American politician, see John Patrick Williams. For the American football player, see Pat Williams (NFL). Patrick Williams , 10, was mad that everyone was talking about the victims in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of and Washington, D.C., and nobody was asking about his dad, who had recently died of cancer. He told Joan Etherton, the executive director of the Center for Grief and Loss, and his anger inspired her. ``What we try to do here is turn anger into compassion,'' Etherton said from the center Friday as Patrick sat drawing a picture as a gift for the children of 9-11 and Oklahoma City Oklahoma City (1990 pop. 444,719), state capital, and seat of Oklahoma co., central Okla., on the North Canadian River; inc. 1890. The state's largest city, it is an important livestock market, a wholesale, distribution, industrial, and financial center, and a farm victims. The Glendale Center for Grief and Loss has invited the children of the victims of the Sept. 11 terrorism and the April 19, 1995, Oklahoma City bombing See Terrorism "The Oklahoma City Bombing" (Sidebar); Venue "Venue and the Oklahoma City Bombing Case" (Sidebar). to view a mural Wednesday drawn by Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. area children who also have lost parents. On Friday, Patrick was excitedly working on his gift picture. He sat on the ground, focused on a big piece of yellow construction paper, drawing the lines of a truck with a blue marker. ``It's my dad's truck,'' he said, smiling widely below a mop of blond hair. Other kids sat around the room, some slathering glue onto paper and sprinkling sparkles onto it and others intently focused on sketching. ``I'm drawing happy faces because they make me happy,'' said Corina Alvarez, 9, who lost her younger sister recently. More than 50 local children are contributing drawings, which will be assembled as a mural and presented to children of the Oklahoma City bombing victims Wednesday. Children of the 9-11 tragedy have been invited, but might not be able to make it, Etherton said. The presentation will take place at 12:30 p.m. at Forest Lawn Forest Lawn is the name of a number of different places:
n. A place, especially a funeral home, where dead bodies are kept before burial or cremation. in Hollywood Hills The Hollywood Hills, an unofficial designation of part of the City of Los Angeles, California, are part of the eastern section of the low transverse range of the Santa Monica Mountains, which extends from the Los Feliz District and Hollywood, on the south side of the Valley, to , 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles. ``This event is going to be a celebration of the lives of these kids' lost loved ones loved ones npl → seres mpl queridos loved ones npl → proches mpl et amis chers loved ones love npl and the victims of 9-11 and Oklahoma City,'' Etherton said. ``The celebration of those lives can only happen when these children connect, so that they can talk and remember,'' she added. That philosophy is what led Etherton to start the Grief and Loss Center in the first place. A career therapist, Etherton found that children who lose loved ones are far more willing to open up to other kids about their grief and loss. ``A therapist can talk to a kid for six months and not get as much connection from them as when they come in and sit down and talk to another 4-year-old,'' she said. The kids are not the only ones who benefit. ``By coming here I find out that I'm not alone - it's a place I can come and vent,'' said Johanna Curd curd the proteinaceous part of milk precipitated by rennin. Usually contains some fat when whole milk is used. of Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. , whose husband died of cancer in June. Her 4-year-old son, Jonathan, sat drawing happily. ``I like that he's with other kids in similar situations so he knows he's not alone,'' Curd said. Art Torres of Pasadena stood and watched his 4-year-old, Christian, draw. Torres's wife was killed by a drunk driver in May. ``Christian was waiting for his mom to come home from work one day, and she just didn't come home,'' Torres said. ``I get some of my strength from Christian. If he's doing well, it helps me be stronger, too. Every time I tell him we're coming here, he gets very excited to draw more pictures of his mommy,'' Torres said with watering eyes, glancing over to Christian. For more information about the mural presentation, call (818) 248-4441. Also on Wednesday in Glendale, a 7:15 p.m. procession of public-safety vehicles will drive through downtown Glendale, ending at a candlelight vigil A candelight vigil is an outdoor assembly of people carrying candles, held after sunset. Such events are typically held either to protest at the suffering of some marginalized group of people, or in memory of lives lost to some disease, disaster, massacre or other tragedy. for Sept. 11 victims at Perkins Plaza, City Hall. From 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., state Sen. Jack Scott and Glendale Mayor Raffi Manoukian will speak at the service. CAPTION(S): Photo: (1) Patrick Williams, 10, of Sunland-Tujunga shows his art co ntribution for a Sept. 11 memorial mural to Allic Zulli, program director at the Center for Grief and Loss for Children in Glendale. The art will be displayed at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hill. (2) Four-year-old Christian Torres works on his entry for the Sept. 11 memorial mural Friday with his dad, Art. The boy's mother was killed by a drunk driver three weeks ago. Joe Binoya/Special to the Daily News |
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