Training focused, non-transactional attention toward your adolescent as a spiritual discipline that counteracts modern fragmentation and teen isolation.
Rabia's devotion was characterized by single-pointed attention to the divine presence, undistracted by external circumstance. This is increasingly rare in parenting: attention fragmented by devices, work anxiety, and the overwhelming logistics of raising teens. Yet adolescents are acutely attuned to whether they are truly seen. Devotion as attention practice means setting aside your phone during conversations, asking questions with genuine curiosity rather than interrogation, remembering the small details of their interests and struggles. It means noticing shifts in mood, the new friend who matters, the book they're reading at 2 AM. This attention is not surveillance; it's a form of love. In Rabia's tradition, devotion meant offering your full presence to the beloved. With your teen, this might mean a weekly ritual—a drive, a walk, a meal—where your attention is consecrated to them. Such devotion counteracts the teen's experience of invisibility and isolation. It says: "You matter enough for my full presence. You are worth my undivided attention."
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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