For decades, the pundits, practitioners and administrators of death /life-care profession have espoused the cathartic value of the physical presence of the deceased throughout all facets and elements of the funeral, i.e., visitation, ceremony and disposition.
Life is indeed precious, and when a life has ended, response and recognition begin. Recognition becomes imperative as people gather in love and support and for many brief, shining moments, the life now muted is honored and memorialized through the rites, rituals and human interaction with the funeral event.
Above and beyond the psychological and emotional value of viewing the deceased and quietly verifying the reality of death, there exists an intrinsic, universal imperative to honor and validate the life and times of the deceased with "the body present" throughout the entirety of the memorialization process.
The chronicles of global deaths caused by war, terrorism, disease, accidents and natural catastrophic events are replete with references to the sanctity of the body and prodigious effort, capital, care and commitment expended to honor, protect and preserve the bodies of the deceased persons.
Data extrapolated from archeological study has demonstrated that throughout the epochal dynamics of humankind, cultures, nations, societies, tribes and clans have intrinsically revered and relentlessly guarded the human remains of the dead, regardless of social, political or economic strata.
The common denominator of world cultures is the unbridled passion to recover the "fallen warrior" and dignify th edeath by bringing home the body.
As the world of the 21st century turns in turmoil, the tradition of honoring life with the body present seems to be more prevalent now than ever before. Reflective of the principle is the support of legions of institutions and organizations like MIA, Ground-Sea and Air Rescue, Graves Registration, state and national funeral director associations, schools and programs of mortuary science and police and firefighting entities.
Above all, this practice of having the body present speaks of the quintessential decency and compassions of "the people". And that is as it should be...
