NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — When Kelby Smith was just 6 years old, seeing stories about violent crimes claiming other kids his age filled him with loss.
"The stories on the news were pretty powerful and they sat with me as a kid," said Smith. "Just to think: you were out minding your own business and unfortunately become a victim of violence. It obviously sits with you at that age."
But it also gave him a pretty powerful idea. In 1997 — alongside his horticulturalist father Ron Smith and former Tennessee first lady Andrea Conte's nonprofit You Have the Power — Kelby helped establish the Children's Memory Garden of Nashville. It was intended as a quiet place to remember the names of the children the city lost to violence in the midst of Centennial Park on West End Avenue.
"Having a place for the families, for the community to go to remember some of these people, just to feel like the kids aren’t forgotten is ultimately the most important thing," said Smith.
Sadly, as Nashville has grown, so has the list of children's names. That's why, for the last few months, construction crews have been hard at work building a new, expanded memorial garden.
"I mean, it’s going to be beautiful," said Daniel Vincent, site supervisor for the new garden.
"They picked this spot because of this big willow oak tree, and it’s been here for decades and decades," said Glynn Dowdle, president of Dowdle Construction.
A new, younger willow oak sits in the middle of the new marble memorial at the park.
"The granite comes out of the ground and encompasses two hands kind of like you’re holding the child," said Vincent. "It symbolizes the mother and the child and that bond that they have."
Colorful dots in place on the concrete during construction will eventually be replaced by small but mighty lights that will illuminate the memorial at night.
"I think it will set the mood for what the purpose of the whole memorial is," said Vincent.
Most of the symbolism of the memorial was intentional, except for one aspect.
"There are eyes looking out of the tree, and one even looks like it’s crying, which is crazy because of what this means," said Vincent.
On the new willow oak tree, it looks like there are eyes carved into the tree, only they weren't shaped by human hands. It was the work of Mother Nature.
"That was where a lower limb was pruned," explained Dowdle.
The memorial also features the original stone tablets that featured the names of each child killed by violence in Nashville. While the original tablets will remain, new names will not be added due to the growing number, and growing frequency. "It’s sad how many people do, can relate to this or know someone affected by domestic violence," said Vincent.
But in a way, that's why Kelby Smith came up with the idea in the first place: to provide a space that can console those needing comfort, and for the rest of us, provide a stark reminder of all that we've lost.
"People who didn’t even realize they were coming here for that, kind of become part of it in the process which I think is awesome because it raises awareness," said Smith, as he gazed upon the new garden for the first time.
Construction crews are still putting on the finishing touches for the next few weeks. The official opening is scheduled for October 18th.
To learn more about the Children's Memory Garden of Nashville, visit its website.
