Please, Pre-Party for my Funeral

In the past few weeks, for some reason, I’ve heard of a few people passing away that are within a degree or two of separation from myself. A friend and I got to talking about funeral ceremonies and the mood that comes with such an event. In most cultures, funerals are a sad event; there are tears, feelings of sorrow, regret, and a number of other negative emotions filling the ceremony’s atmosphere. So I put myself in the position of someone whose funeral people are attending. I can’t say I would want to see my entire circle of friends and family lamenting over losing me. I do understand, however, that it’s not fair for me to expect other not to feel sad at losing a loved one, but at the same time I feel I’d rather have my life celebrated and looked upon as a remarkable journey full of accomplishments and happiness. My roommate traveled abroad to Ghana last year and told me that funerals were almost party-like over there. They have plenty of alcohol to drink and music to listen / dance to in order to celebrate the new journey the deceased individual is about to embark upon. That notion jived with me really well. I only hope that one day, many years from now, people raise a shot glass at my funeral and toast to my life.