How do I stay present with someone I'm losing to illness or age?

Mirabai didn't look away from her own dying — she kept singing, kept loving, kept showing up exactly as she was. That's what presence means here: not pretending everything is fine, but refusing to abandon the moment or the person in it. Start smaller than you think. Presence isn't about saying the right thing. Sit with them. Hold their hand. Listen to what they're actually saying, not what you think you should hear. Let them see you're not afraid of their fear. Mirabai loved fiercely *because* she knew loss was real — that knowing made her attention radical. Some days presence looks like reading aloud. Some days it's silence. Some days it's crying together. The examined heart — that's what Mirabai cultivated — means you're willing to feel what's actually happening instead of protecting yourself from it. That willingness is a gift to them. Don't wait for a "good time" to say what matters. Grieve while they're still here. Let them know they've changed you. These conversations are hard, but the regret of not having them is harder. You're not just saying goodbye — you're saying *this mattered*. That's devotion.