01/09/2026
I am really saddened to hear of the death of Wendell Berry, one of my most favourite nature writers and poets.
His writing has been a quiet companion to me over the years. I’ve returned again and again to his poems and essays because of the way he writes about the natural world — but also about what it means to be human: to belong somewhere, to live with care, to pay attention, to accept our limitations, and to find meaning in the ordinary.
There is something in Berry’s writing that feels particularly close to the work of counselling. He reminds us of the importance of slowing down, of being present to what is here, and of recognising that healing and change don’t always come through striving. Sometimes they come through attention, patience, relationship and a willingness to stay with things.
I’m grateful for all the ways his words have encouraged me to look more closely at the world around me, and to remember that we are part of nature rather than separate from it.
A beautiful voice has gone quiet, but his words will continue to accompany so many of us.
“Be like the fox
who makes more tracks than necessary,
some in the wrong direction.
Practice resurrection.”
Thank you, Wendell.
