Midway support group helps community cope with grief and loss

Photo: Emily Chu

Emily Chu fosters healing and connection in Wasatch Back

By: Maritza Roño Refuerzo, Neighbors of Park City

I love recounting the story of how I met Emily Chu, a San Francisco Bay Area native turned Wasatch-Back-denizen who, on March 26, 2024, hosted the ninth session of the Midway Grief and Loss Support Group, which she founded in the summer of 2023. After experiencing heart-rending losses of her own, which included the death of her paternal grandmother (whom she lived with for six months each year for most of her life), not to mention the end of a corporate job that provided financial stability for her and her now two-year-old daughter, Emily decided to flip the covers off her head, spring out of bed, and dive into action, enlisting monthly speakers who could help her, and others, traverse the purgatory of life’s hurling calamities. 

I “met” Emily on Facebook Marketplace right before Thanksgiving of 2023; she had posted a listing for a ceramic lime-green lamp that caught my eye as I was browsing for unique accouterments to add to a commercial space in Prospector Square called Lectura Lounge — home to a reading buddies program, storytime circles with local authors and homeschoolers, and (now), to Emily’s grief and loss support group. For previous sessions, Emily has hired a Wasatch High School student to play ambient piano, and she always offers a spread of delightful nibbles on an attentively set table – all free to the community.

Emily appeared at Lectura Lounge’s doorstep with the lamp I purchased from her, along with a box containing down-filled throw pillows, a magazine tote, and a faux-fur kaross, all surprise gifts for the Lounge from her kind heart — just days after she and I had exchanged numerous messages about my family foundation, her love for nonprofits, and her weekly volunteer stints at Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore. Emily’s altruism didn’t stop there. She proceeded to move furniture around, trying out different spots and brainstorming with me on how to create the reading nooks I’d envisioned, mentioning she had recently helped (pro bono, needless to say) with marketing and design consulting for several Midway businesses. 

My husband, Ray, had been observing us from one corner of the Lounge while conversing with the cable technician setting up our Wi-Fi. After Emily and I leaned into each other for a tight embrace, Ray asked with a raised eyebrow, “Um, do you know her?” 

I’ve known Emily for only four months, but she’s managed to make this short period of time feel much longer in the most positive way imaginable. It’s been a time during which I’ve had the privilege of watching her enrich the lives of others, some of whom I’ve met through Emily and couldn’t agree more wholeheartedly with their reviews. “Emily is truly a beautiful soul,” says Patrick Green, a member of the YMCA of Northern Utah’s board of directors, who volunteers with Emily at ReStore. “She embraces humanity with a heart that knows only kindness.”

Patrick was the main speaker for Emily’s January 2024 meeting at Snake Creek Clubhouse in Midway. It was here that I observed Emily for the first time as she scanned, with doting eyes, the room we were gathered in. Nearly fifteen of us were seated on cushy leather lounge chairs, swapping pleasantries and munching on charcuterie. 

I watched Emily grab a stuffed toy – a purple princess bear – from the bench in front of the room. “I’m Emily. Last year, I lost my grandmother, my corporate job, and the person I thought would be my life partner,” she began, also explaining that she commences each session with what she calls “Open Share.” She wasn’t afraid of shedding tears to a group of complete strangers, squeezing the lovey against her chest as her voice quavered, then placing it gently in the lap of the person sitting next to her. I marveled at the vulnerability of the other participants, including my own, as we all passed the princess bear to one another.

My eyes remained on Emily, whose own eyes seemed to relinquish her entire being to each of her guests. When she invited me to join the group, she acknowledged the need for people to learn new tools for coping, along with obtaining free access to mental health resources in the area. “It’s all about how you can find community during a time of loss through a group,” she emphasized. 

Last week at Lectura Lounge, Ray and Emily ran our eighteenth Reading Buddies session together. They included me in their group chat, asking where to order food and joking about Emily’s daughter’s quest to rule the world. It felt like a big hug, similar to what Ray witnessed back in November—the power of human connection and solidarity. 

From the healing properties of turquoise to guided sound bath meditation to the sage advice of a family medicine practitioner and of a track-and-field Olympian, Emily has persevered in seeking and securing support for our grief community. Karly Howell, a licensed marriage and family therapist who spoke at Lectura Lounge in February, had circulated a paper bag filled with stones to our group. My stone said “longing,” others had various adjectives and nouns such as “awe,” “angry,” “confused,” and “fear,” with all participants describing the meaning regarding their chosen word — relieved of any fear whatsoever, rendering everyone in awe.

“As a local therapist, I’m so grateful Emily has created such a warm environment that all who want to share feel safe in,” says Karly. “Thanks to her ability to make everyone who comes to her group feel like a dear friend, she has created the connection that’s needed for healing.”