In sad, but eloquent pageantry this week, the New York World Trade Clean up Site was officially declared closed; cleaned up, yes, restored to normal, no. In real time, it has been less than nine months - coincidentally close to the same time frame for human gestation - since this unprecedented assault destroyed innocent men, women and children in mid-air during the performance of their daily work routines.

There has been talk of a rebirth, a new beginning, for this valuable piece of Manhattan skyline. Surprisingly, many New Yorkers want to see the Twin Towers rebuilt. Is this the return of optimism, defiance, or just resilience of the human spirit, believing that good will always overcome evil?

Whatever the outcome, in many ways, most of us have moved on in our lives. We are too busy dealing with the realities of today to retrieve more retroactive images of that terrible, terrible week. We have probably even gotten over feeling grateful that it wasn't us. Does that sound callous? Not really, we human animals are blessed with great survival instincts, which focus on coping with the present. Our human consciousness will only absorb so much.

And what of those now and forever incomplete families, whose Moms, Dads, Sisters, Brothers, Sons, and Daughters just never came home after work on September 11? Adult survivors, no matter what stage of their life they were in, have had to somehow simply carry on. People have to eat, pay the rent and utilities, and return to their jobs. Unborn babies do not put entrance into the world on hold, simply because Mom is not functioning particularly well.

Adult family members have had to cope with interminable mountains of paperwork. Initially, conventional estate processes stalled because a death certificate was not available; it never being easy to produce a few strands of hair which may match a tiny piece of human remains.

Without adequate verification that your loved one has passed, benefits cannot be paid, titles cannot be transferred, bank accounts may be frozen, estates cannot be closed, the routine of conventional life simply stops. All of these transition phases - inevitable in everyone's life and passing, yes, we will all pass that way - were an ordeal for the survivors of September 11.

We, adults need our mourning rituals as much as our celebrations, because they signify to us, closure and beginning again. For children, it is not so easy. Aside from the missing parent or sibling, life on the surface to our eyes seems the same. Children deal in absolutes, somehow, it is expected that they will adapt quickly, get over losing the total integration of their lives, the only life they knew, in so many cases. And they are not as able to articulate how they feel as logic, grasp of intangibles, and cognitive reasoning abilities do not appear in the very young until ages four and up. Survivor parents and their children have needed long-term counselling, along with the necessities of life.

We know from all of the media reports, and from statements of employers themselves, that a very large percentage of those lost, were members of young families, many with stay-at-home spouses.

Could they have ever conceived this 'incident' (the way the unkind refer to this disaster) would leave them widows/widowers so soon? After all, statistically, younger wage earners have a one-in-four chance of long-term disability, far higher than same age mortality rates.

It is true that when we are young, we feel invincible. We do not think in terms of insuring against the odds, because our inner conviction is that we will beat the odds. We will live "forever young, forever young," in the words of the classic ballad by the Pretenders.

And we also know if it had not been for employee benefits available to these young families, many would have been in immediate dire straits - the generosity of strangers would not filter down to a much later time. Many employers, today, on a routine basis offer comprehensive benefits - which include medical care, psychological/psychiatric counselling, maternity care, dental care, short-term disability, long-term disability, group-life insurance, health-club memberships, parking facility allowances, matching pension incentives, stock options, share purchase plans, mortgage plans, relocation planning, and so on.

When the unexpected occurs, and a family member is lost, these benefits are a godsend, because in many cases, there is nothing else.

So, this week, I ask you to honour the memory of the victims of September 11, 2001, by honouring your own family. Review your employee benefits and add personal benefit planning, such as insurance, estate planning, where needed.

Take it one step further and ask yourself honestly. Have you provided for contingencies, as best you can? Do you have a current will? Do you have a letter of medical wishes - so that your family is spared the agony of deciding your ultimate fate? If you have young children, do you have designated guardians, one for their legal interests, and one for their financial interests? Are the beneficiaries on your life insurance, pensions, annuities the right ones - not your former spouse? Do you know where all of your important papers are, deeds, policies, pension plans, investments, birth certificates, passports, etc.?

Save your surviving family members the anguish of having to cope with your loss and no money, no clear title to property, and no clue as to how you organised your affairs.

Do not make the last memory of you, one of anger and despair because you did not make the time today to care about them tomorrow.

At the time of your passing, their job will be to get on with living; your job will be over.

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Martha Harris Myron CPA CFP(tm) is a Bermudian, a Certified Financial Planner(tm)(US license) practitioner and VP, Manager, Financial Planning department, Bank of Bermuda. She holds a NASD Series 7 license, is a former US tax practitioner, and is the winner 2001-The Bermudian Magazine - Best of Bermuda Gold Award for Investment Advice. Confidential Email can be directed to marthamyronnorthrock.bm

The article expresses the opinion of the author alone, and not necessarily that of Bank of Bermuda. Under no circumstances is this advice to be taken as a recommendation to buy or sell investment products or as a promotion for financial plans. The Editor of the Royal Gazette has final right of approval over headlines, content, and length/brevity of article.