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.

Showing posts with label Catalyst. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Catalyst. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Grief Is





My friend Kelsea said grief is a teacher, a catalyst for change, and a mercy. This started me thinking about what grief is and the roles that grief plays.

Grief teaches us about ourselves, how we deal with extreme stress, sorrow and personal devastation. It tells us how deeply we have loved someone— a spouse, parent, sibling, child or friend — and it teaches us about the stark realities of life, that people we love die, often unexpectedly, and we grieve.