Devotion as Sustained Attention

Mirabai's devotion was not a moment—it was a lifelong, relentless attention to her relationship with the divine. She returned again and again, through seasons and years, never abandoning the practice. This concept of devotion as sustained attention offers crucial wisdom for grief support. Grief in children is not a problem to be solved in six weeks or a semester. It unfolds in seasons, triggered unexpectedly by anniversaries, birthdays, songs, and rituals. The devoted adult in a child's grief journey is one who returns, who remains present, who acknowledges the loss repeatedly across time. This means remembering the deceased child's name in conversation, acknowledging the dead parent's birthday, checking in around holidays. It means resisting the cultural impulse to move on and instead practicing what might be called "accompaniment"—staying alongside the child as they navigate ongoing grief. Devotion as sustained attention also models for children that their love can be ongoing too, that remembering is an act of fidelity, and that their grief matters enough to warrant patient, repeated presence from trusted adults.