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.

Monday, April 2, 2018

Walking the Desert Road

After the horror of Good Friday, after the utter despair of Holy Saturday, after the unexpected joy of Easter Sunday, came Monday morning when the disciples wondered what they were to do now.

The future they envisioned had come crashing down, and their leader, the person they loved, was gone. But they had changed because of him and, sink or swim, they were resolved to continue on and make the dream real. 

At this point, they didn’t know what was going to happen, but they headed into the desert and began to create a new life.

As they walked on the road, they found other people heading in the same direction. They shared their struggles and grief, what helped them get through each day, and they felt strengthened and encouraged. No longer were they alone. In those days a long time ago, it took them time to learn how to be a community. With the help of others, they kept the dream alive. 

Our journey begins here every year, every day, here in the desert where nothing seems certain, doing the best we can, yet knowing that things seldom go as well as planned. 

It is here where Monday becomes Tuesday, then Wednesday, and then the rest of our lives.

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