Who I am.

I write about the landscape of grief, nature, and the wisdom of fools. The author of four books, my essays, poems, and reviews have been published in over 50 journals, including in the Huffington Post and Colorado Review. I’ve won the River Teeth Nonfiction Book Award, the Chautauqua and Literal Latte’s essay prizes, and my work has been nominated for four Pushcart Prizes and named a notable by Best American Essays. My account of hiking in Yosemite to deal with my wife’s death, Mountains of Light, was published by the University of Nebraska Press. http://www.markliebenow.com.

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Grief as Spiritual Initiation

The Sacred Space of Grief

Grief initiates us into sacred space. Elaine Mansfield started me thinking about this, and Christina Rasmussen, in one of her posts last month, wrote that “grief is God” and described how this was so. The following are my thoughts so far. I’d love to hear your insights.
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* If you would like to read the rest of this post, let me know and I’ll send it to you. *

(For more on ritual and grief, see http://widowersgrief.blogspot.com/2014/12/rituals-of-grief.html)

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4 comments:

  1. Tricia EllenMay 13, 2015 at 11:46 AM

    I love this. It is so true. Life will never again be the same. Our world is sharper, clearer, now. We are sensitised to the beauty and the pain of living. We turn toward kindness. We know that is what matters. I am going to share this. Hope you don't mind. xx

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    1. Mark LiebenowMay 13, 2015 at 11:54 AM

      We turn toward kindness. I like that. And I don't mind you sharing this at all, Tricia. In fact, it rather delights me.

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  2. UnknownJuly 27, 2017 at 7:52 PM

    Thank you for this beautiful post. I have been thinking along these lines during my mourner's path, realizing it is initiation. My heart is so open to ghe love, the beauty in this world, the compassion, and the suffering. And all this is God. Thank you

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    1. Mark LiebenowJuly 27, 2017 at 8:58 PM

      Grief does open our hearts up, if we let it guide us to look and see how our lives are interconnected with the suffering, compassion, and beauty of others. You are right, Karen. It is becoming aware of the holiness around us.

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