By Bob Nightengale, USA TODAY
The days remain painful and the nights can be unbearable, but John and Roxanna Green are finding courage through their daughter's memory.
By Mamta Popat, AP
Roxanna and John Green, the mother and father of Christina Green, stand with their son Dallas as they arrive for Christina's funeral at the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Tucson.
By Mamta Popat, AP
Roxanna and John Green, the mother and father of Christina Green, stand with their son Dallas as they arrive for Christina's funeral at the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Tucson.
Nearly two months have passed since Christina-Taylor Green was murdered in the Tucson shooting, and the Greens can't bear to watch the news on television. And they have no interest in closely following latest court proceedings involving the gunman, Jared Lee Loughner, 22, indicted for killing six people and wounding 13 others, including U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz.
"It's tough to look at his face, to be honest with you," John Green, a baseball scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers, told USA TODAY on Wednesday in a telephone interview.
Green just returned from a two-week scouting trip, the first time he has worked since the tragedy. He is the son of Philadelphia Phillies executive Dallas Green, a former manager and general manager. Roxanna Green has not returned to work as a home health nurse, instead focusing on the Christina-Taylor Foundation.
"It was tough to leave," said John Green, whose family is in grief counseling. "The toughest thing was at night, just driving back to the hotel, trying to go to bed.
"There will be tough times. We'll have to re-live those, and face them. But our counselor says re-living those will help preserve her memory."
Christina Green, who was born on Sept. 11, 2001, was allegedly shot by Loughner at a grocery story while attending an informal town-hall meeting organized by Giffords, D-Ariz. The congresswoman sustained a gunshot to the head and is undergoing rehabilitation at a Houston hospital.
The Greens considered moving out of Tucson to escape the constant reminders of their daughter's death but say the outpouring of love and support from the community has eased their angst.
"That was my initial thought, 'Why would I want to live here?'" said John Green, who moved his family to Tucson three years ago. "But the way the community of Tucson has come together, it's really helped us get though this tough time.
"The first month was so difficult. So many things that were unbearable. They lifted a lot of weight for us."
The Greens say they have been approached by several political groups, including those supporting gun control, but have declined to get involved.
"We decided early on that we want to focus on the positive aspects of Christina's image as a 9-year-old girl," Green said. "We don't want her to be the poster child for any political agenda."
Instead they are hoping their efforts will help heal a community. The park where Christina-Taylor and Dallas, her 11-year-old brother, played was renamed Monday in her honor. The Canyon Del Oro Little League is dedicating a field in April. The Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox are scheduled to play a charity game Monday in Tucson with all proceeds benefiting the Christina-Taylor Green Memorial Fund.
"There has been such an outpouring of love and support," said Roxanna Green. "People we don't even know. This just feels like home."
Roxanna Green said she believes her daughter may have grown up to be a politician. She was fascinated with politics, and had just been elected to her elementary school's student council. Then again, her real ambition was becoming the first female to play in the major leagues.
"She had a lot of aspirations, dreams of a 9-year-old," said John Green.
No comments:
Post a Comment