A friend of mine was widowed many years ago.

During conversations, my friend has always said that she does not believe in an afterlife

Fair enough, that is her opinion, which I respect.

A while ago, I gave her a lift to her husbands grave, and was surprised when I saw the headstone

The wording, which my friend had composed, included the phrase "Until we meet again"

Why would someone who does not believe in an afterlife use those words.

I don`t want to ask my friend, as I don`t want to risk upsetting her