Mirabai's theology of loving an absent divine beloved as a model for helping children maintain bonds with deceased loved ones through imagination, memory, and creative practice.
Central to Mirabai's bhakti is yearning for Krishna—a beloved who is simultaneously present in the heart and absent in body. She developed sophisticated practices for maintaining intimate connection across separation, channeling her longing into music, poetry, and ritual. This addresses a critical need for grieving children: how to stay connected to someone who has died. Rather than encouraging children to 'move on' and detach, Mirabai's tradition offers continuance: the deceased can be addressed in prayer, evoked in story, carried in daily practices. Children can maintain 'continuing bonds' by speaking to the person's memory, creating art in their honor, or embodying qualities they valued. This isn't morbid clinging but healthy love-that-continues. Mirabai teaches that the beloved's absence is the condition for deepening intimacy—we discover what we truly value when we can no longer take it for granted. For children, this transforms grief from amputation into transformation: the relationship evolves but doesn't end.
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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