Periagoge
Concept
1 min read

Paradox Holding in Grief

Teaching children to hold contradictory truths simultaneously—sadness and joy, love and anger, presence and absence—without needing resolution.

Mira
Why It Matters

Bhakti poetry thrives in paradox: ecstasy and agony, nearness and distance, union and separation. Children are often taught to resolve contradictions, but grief demands paradox-holding. I miss them AND I'm glad they're not suffering. I'm angry at them AND I love them. I want to move forward AND I want everything to stay the same. Adults typically try to resolve these tensions: They're in a better place (negating the child's wish they were still here). But Mirabai's tradition teaches comfort with paradox. Both things are true. Your heart can hold seeming opposites. This prevents the psychological fragmentation that occurs when children suppress one side of a paradox, and it models emotional maturity and complexity.

Helpful guides
Mira
Love & Relationships
Peri
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