This garden took years to cultivate

THE LOSS of a loved one to homicide is a life sentence for family members.

I've been a homicide bereavement therapist for well over 20 years and was present at the inception of the Garden of Peace (``Beacon Hill Garden Row," editorial, May 22). In the beginning a very small group of ``survivors" -- parents, children, and siblings -- considered a memorial to Massachusetts victims of homicide. With the support of the state Office for Victim Assistance, this group approached city and state officials to find a space . Basically they were told it couldn't be done. No one wanted to be reminded of the violence in our city. For 10 years these survivors faced enormous obstacles and were finally granted a small space behind the former Saltonstall Building in Boston. They then raised funds and designed a beautiful site intended for meditation, prayer, and remembrance.

Suffok University wants to build a 31-story dormitory adjacent to this sacred garden. Suffolk apparently feels that offering money to the creators and caretakers of the garden will allay any heartache incurred at the ruination of this hard-fought-for space. There may be limited space in Boston for student housing. But there is no other memorial in the city for victims of homicide.

BETTE SPEAR
Melrose