Dear Griever,
I have had the honor and privilege of serving as the Community Liaison for HeartLight Center since May 2023. On December 16, 2025, I had the opportunity to speak on behalf of HeartLight at our annual Holiday Love and Light Remembrance Event, held in partnership with Daniels Family Funerals–Carlisle Chapel, and to share the following remarks. I wanted to offer these words to you as you navigate your own journey, wherever you may be.
—————————————————
I’m Genna, the Community Liaison with HeartLight Center, and I’ve had the privilege this year of sitting with people in their grief—listening to their stories, their questions, their fears, and their quiet moments of strength. And in so many ways, grievers have taught me about light.
They’ve taught me that light in grief is not constant. It doesn’t shine the same way every day. Some days it’s bright and present; other days it feels far away. And that isn’t failure—it’s human. Like starlight, it can be faint, delayed, or flickering—and still be real.
They’ve also shown me that the “stars” they rely on are rarely the big moments. More often, they’re small, steady points of orientation: a song, a routine, a memory, a familiar object. These become the lights they return to when everything else feels uncertain. They don’t need the whole sky explained. They just need something to look toward.
And perhaps most importantly, grievers have taught me that constellations are not formed alone. In community—through shared stories, shared silence, and simple recognition—individual lights begin to connect. One person’s words become another person’s guide. Meaning isn’t discovered in isolation; it’s traced together.
That’s why HeartLight Center exists. We’re a nonprofit that companions thousands of people each year through individual support, support groups, workshops, and educational events—and we know the holiday season can carry its own weight. Many people share that this time of year feels different, or more difficult, than the rest. Tonight, we’re here to hold space together through music, readings, gentle learning, and reflection—small points of light that help us find our way.
Because what I hear again and again is this: people aren’t trying to let go of those they love. They’re learning how to carry them forward—how love changes shape, but does not disappear. The light remains.
So tonight, as we gather under this shared sky of memory and light, may we remember that even the smallest light matters. And together, those lights form something greater—something that can guide us, gently, forward
Written by: Dr. Genna Reeves
Dec. 2025