Mark Liebenow's guest appearances

Mark Liebenow

From Grief to Grace

Dear Life with Christina Rasmussen

Barbara Karnes

Anita Moorjani

Debra Silverman

Neale Donald Walsch

Mike Vardy

Christine Hassler

Terri Cole

Rick Hanson

Steven Kotler

Nancy Levin

Maya Shetreat

Lise Deguire

Srinivas Rao

Barry Friedman

Courtney Carver

OwlTail

I’m so very happy to introduce you to this week’s guest, author, poet, and blogger Mark Liebenow. Mark is one of the very few people I feel I can truly relate to in terms of his complex journey with grief. There is something about the way he writes that is very healing. His presence and the way he speaks about grief is very rare in my opinion. I was so immersed in his writing when I first discovered him and again in preparing for this conversation. I do hope you will explore Mark’s work and world after listening to this episode. After the unexpected death of his first wife in 2001, he found that the writing he found about grief wasn’t mirroring the complex emotional landscape that he was feeling. He found that the experience of grief made him more whole and able to express his emotions more fully, which has been a gift from this experience but also a regret that his wife Evelyn wasn’t able to experience this side of him.   “Grief opened a door to wholeness and I don’t want to close it.” ~ Mark Liebenow   Mark speaks so beautifully about his journeys to Yosemite National Park after Evelyn’s death, which he also documents in his book  Mountains of Light, and how those trips and nature played an integral role in his grieving. He says he began to look at what nature had to say about life and death. He explains grief as a wilderness that has no trails. There is so much that we can learn from it. Grief can be a teacher, a catalyst for change, and even a grace. He explains that while in the woods he noticed that, “nature mourns it’s losses for a moment, and then moves on because change is constant there. The lesson I learned from that is that all of life changes and we have to change with it.” We also speak about his experience dating again after Evelyn’s death and falling in love with his second wife Marcia. He and I both share some of the differences that happen with the new relationship and we wonder out loud what our first partners may think about who we are with now. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Mark Liebenow as much as I did. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I’m @christinarasmussen7 on Instagram and @ChristinaRasmussen2014 on Facebook. More About Mark Liebenow Mark Liebenow writes about the journey of grief, the wonder of nature, and the wisdom of fools. The author of four books, his essays and poems have been published in numerous journals, and his work has been nominated for three Pushcart Prizes and named a notable by Best American Essays. Mark writes a blog for all who grieve at http://widowersgrief.blogspot.com . His account of hiking in Yosemite to deal with his wife’s death, Mountains of Light, was published by the University of Nebraska Press. You can connect with him via his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram  Things We Mention In This Episode  Website: www.markliebenow.com Blog: A Widower’s Grief Book:  Mountains of Light; Seasons of Reflection in Yosemite, by Mark Liebenow Book:  The Group: Seven Widowed Fathers Reimagine Life, by Donald Rosenstein and Justin Yopp Book:  Where Did You Go? by Christina Rasmussen Book:  Second Firsts by Christina Rasmussen  Newsletter - Message In a Bottle:  Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

I’m so very happy to introduce you to this week’s guest, author, poet, and blogger Mark Liebenow. Mark is one of the very few people I feel I can truly relate to in terms of his complex journey with grief. There is something about the way he writes that is very healing. His presence and the way he speaks about grief is very rare in my opinion. I was so immersed in his writing when I first discovered him and again in preparing for this conversation. I do hope you will explore Mark’s work and world after listening to this episode. After the unexpected death of his first wife in 2001, he found that the writing he found about grief wasn’t mirroring the complex emotional landscape that he was feeling. He found that the experience of grief made him more whole and able to express his emotions more fully, which has been a gift from this experience but also a regret that his wife Evelyn wasn’t able to experience this side of him. “Grief opened a door to wholeness and I don’t want to close it.” ~ Mark Liebenow Mark speaks so beautifully about his journeys to Yosemite National Park after Evelyn’s death, which he also documents in his book <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mountains-Light-Reflection-Yosemite-Nonfiction/dp/0803240171" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Mountains of Light</a>, and how those trips and nature played an integral role in his grieving. He says he began to look at what nature had to say about life and death. He explains grief as a wilderness that has no trails. There is so much that we can learn from it. Grief can be a teacher, a catalyst for change, and even a grace. He explains that while in the woods he noticed that, “nature mourns it’s losses for a moment, and then moves on because change is constant there. The lesson I learned from that is that all of life changes and we have to change with it.” We also speak about his experience dating again after Evelyn’s death and falling in love with his second wife Marcia. He and I both share some of the differences that happen with the new relationship and we wonder out loud what our first partners may think about who we are with now. I hope you enjoy this conversation with Mark Liebenow as much as I did. Please share it with your friends and family, and be sure to tag me if you share it on social media so that I can say thank you. I’m <a href="https://www.instagram.com/christinarasmussen7/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@christinarasmussen7</a> on Instagram and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChristinaRasmussen2014/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@ChristinaRasmussen2014</a> on Facebook. More About Mark Liebenow Mark Liebenow writes about the journey of grief, the wonder of nature, and the wisdom of fools. The author of four books, his essays and poems have been published in numerous journals, and his work has been nominated for three Pushcart Prizes and named a notable by Best American Essays. Mark writes a blog for all who grieve at <a href="http://widowersgrief.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://widowersgrief.blogspot.com</a> . His account of hiking in Yosemite to deal with his wife’s death, Mountains of Light, was published by the University of Nebraska Press. You can connect with him via his <a href="http://www.markliebenow.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">website</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/markliebenow" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.twitter.com/MarkLiebenow2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/markyosemite" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a> Things We Mention In This Episode <ul> <li>Website: <a href="http://www.markliebenow.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.markliebenow.com</a></li> <li>Blog: <a href="http://widowersgrief.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Widower’s Grief</a></li> <li>Book: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mountains-Light-Reflection-Yosemite-Nonfiction/dp/0803240171/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=mark+liebenow&amp;qid=1604156258&amp;sr=8-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Mountains of Light; Seasons of Reflection in Yosemite</a>, by Mark Liebenow</li> <li>Book: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Group-Seven-Widowed-Fathers-Reimagine/dp/0190649569/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=the+group+rosenstein&amp;qid=1604169304&amp;sr=8-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The Group: Seven Widowed Fathers Reimagine Life</a>, by Donald Rosenstein and Justin Yopp</li> <li>Book: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Where-Did-You-Go-Life-Changing/dp/0062689622/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1537983651&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=9780062689627" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Where Did You Go?</a> by Christina Rasmussen</li> <li>Book: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Second-Firsts-Step-Step-Guide/dp/1401957064/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=second+firsts&amp;qid=1568044726&amp;s=gateway&amp;sr=8-1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Second Firsts</a> by Christina Rasmussen</li> </ul> Newsletter - Message In a Bottle: <a href="https://secondfirsts.com/second-firsts-message-in-a-bottle/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Sign up for Christina’s weekly letter</a> Apple podcast reviews and ratings are really important to help get the podcast in front of more people to uplift and inspire them too, which is the ultimate goal. Thank you!

Ep. 78: Mark Liebenow - The Wilderness of Grief

Of the many responses you may expect to hear from a griever, laughter can be the most surprising. It is common, however, for people to find humor and use laughter in times of sorrow—both as a defense mechanism and as a coping strategy. On today’s journey From Grief to Grace, award-winning author, poet, and essayist Mark Liebenow joins host Chaz Wesley to honor a history of cultures and religions that boasts ministries of fools, clowns, humor, and compassion—all of which provide evidence that when we can laugh at death, then death doesn’t win.

Of the many responses you may expect to hear from a griever, laughter can be the most surprising. It is common, however, for people to find humor and use laughter in times of sorrow—both as a defense mechanism and as a coping strategy. On today’s journey From Grief to Grace, award-winning author, poet, and essayist Mark Liebenow joins host Chaz Wesley to honor a history of cultures and religions that boasts ministries of fools, clowns, humor, and compassion—all of which provide evidence that when we can laugh at death, then death doesn’t win.

Laughter and Grief, With Mark Liebenow

Mark Liebenow is an award-winning author, poet, theologian, and photographer. His most recent book, Mountains of Light: Seasons of Reflection in Yosemite, combines his many talents to showcase his personal encounters with nature, spirit, and the wisdom held in the mystery of it all.  Joining host Chaz Wesley to discuss how going into nature to deal with the death of his wife became his healing balm, the author shares an aspect of grief’s landscape through narrative, meditation, and the perspective of one widower through the lens of reflection.

Mark Liebenow is an award-winning author, poet, theologian, and photographer. His most recent book, Mountains of Light: Seasons of Reflection in Yosemite, combines his many talents to showcase his personal encounters with nature, spirit, and the wisdom held in the mystery of it all.    Joining host Chaz Wesley to discuss how going into nature to deal with the death of his wife became his healing balm, the author shares an aspect of grief’s landscape through narrative, meditation, and the perspective of one widower through the lens of reflection.