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Be Not Afraid GriefI have read of similar trends elsewhere, too: in severalEuropean cities, growing numbers are choosing to beburied (or otherwise disposed of) anonymously – andwithout any ceremonial farewell whatsoever.Admittedly, funerals can place a great strain onfamilies whose finances are already stretched. Butone wonders how often money is really the limitingfactor. What about those who leave plenty, but requestno service and no marked grave? Do they regardthemselves as burdens, or feel that they were onlytolerated and not truly loved? What is it that they lackthe natural desire to be remembered at least somehow,by somebody, after they are gone – or that they evenwish to be forgotten?Every family must find its own way to take leaveof the dead, and I am not suggesting that one way isbetter than the other. How could it be, when culturaland religious backgrounds vary so widely that whatone person finds deeply meaningful, another findsirreverent or distasteful? All the same, I believe thatevery human being has an innate need to know thathe belongs to someone, and that he is cherished,and because of this I feel certain that no matter thecircumstances of death, each one deserves the dignityof a loving farewell.When New York’s Twin Towers collapsed onSeptember 11, 2001, thousands of grieving families18