The Courage to Feel Alone

Mirabai's path was radically solitary—she stood against family, society, and institutional religion to pursue her truth. Yet she was never truly alone because her devotion connected her to something vast. Grieving children often feel profoundly alone, especially if their grief doesn't match others' timelines or if they're processing different layers of loss. Teaching them the courage to feel alone—supported but not fixed, witnessed but not absorbed into someone else's comfort—becomes essential. This means helping them understand that some of their grief will be only theirs, that sitting with that solitude is brave, and that this aloneness doesn't mean they're abandoned. It also means creating witness relationships where they're truly seen in their particular loss, without someone trying to rush them out of it. Mirabai's model suggests that the most profound connection happens on the other side of the willingness to be truly alone with what matters most. This paradoxically helps children feel less isolated and more authentically connected to others who have also grieved.