Teaching children to hold the paradox that they can simultaneously long for someone and feel their presence, honoring both the ache and the connection.
Mirabai's spiritual yearning for Krishna's presence coexisted with her felt experience of his presence—no contradiction required. For grieving children, this paradox dissolves one of grief's deepest confusions: Can I miss someone AND feel close to them? Yes. Can I be sad AND smile when remembering them? Yes. Can I move forward AND carry them with me? Yes. Children often experience these paradoxes but lack language for them, leading to shame or confusion about their own inconsistency. By explicitly naming and normalizing paradox, we free young people from the exhausting work of forced coherence. They can hold their grief as multi-layered: sharp pain and warm memory, devastating loss and continuing presence, the ache of absence and the felt reality of ongoing connection. This paradoxical thinking actually deepens maturity and prevents the false resolution that denies either side of the truth.
Peri can explain this concept, give practical examples, help you decide whether it applies to your situation, or recommend a journey if appropriate.
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