Grief, Lightly is a gentle space to explore loss in all its forms—people, places, experiences, and roles. Our goal is to find more joy without burying our grief. We’ll talk about how grief ebbs and flows, how reminiscence can help, and what to do with those folks who keep telling us to “get over it.”!

We’ll take a look at how grief is shown (and sold) in our culture and at movies, music, and figures like Yo-Yo Ma, Lena Horne, Anderson Cooper, and Coretta Scott King for what they have to say about grief and loss. Think culture and conversation, not crying and Kleenex, though those are okay, too!

Anna Kruse is an MSW student at Columbia and a Master’s in Divinity student at Union Theological Seminary. She has led groups for people experiencing all kinds of life transitions. Having lost many people close to her, she knows what it’s like to feel like you’re doing grief wrong! She believes storytelling, community, laughter, and practical care can help create more joy.