Which is worse knowing your loved one is dead or your loved one being missing.

I think having a loved one missing would be much worse b/c of the issue of not knowing. It would be constant agony to sit and wonder where they are, how they are, if their cold, hungry, or in pain. I can't imagine living my life that way. [b]~~AT PEACE WITHIN~~ **STAND STRONG IN YOUR BELIEFS**[/b]

I think, it could be missing as at least, there is a small hope of seeing them alive someday.

Great discussion.You are cuaght in seriuos dilemma ,when to hold on to hope and when to get closurehence letting go.I think which you decide will depend on the circumstances.Lets say your loved one gets lost in an avalanche and there are no survivors so far and with each passing day the chnaces of survivals get dimmer,in that case you hope to find the body and get closure on the incident.However,if the person just went missing for unknown reasons ,you keep hope alive and hope that the person is found alive.

Morbid, but something I had to think about last August. My 11 year old son ditched school and the police were called by the school. Man, the things that went through my mind that day was so fast and spinning. But, the things that I ketpt coming back to was I should have given him a hug that morning, where was he and knowing something would be better than not knowing anything at all. Then, you're not worried if he's got enough food, is he warm, is anyone hurting him... I guess it gives a new meaning to "laying him to rest", because he's not the only thing resting, your fears and troubles are also laid to rest. *Pleiades