initial thoughts on care of the dead

Contemplating my death is actually a strange topic for me. It makes me feel sad and seems a bit morbid because I don't like the idea of not being around even though, like everyone else, I know that I too will one day die. I realize from talking to many of my friends, the idea of being cremated seems attractive. I think this may be because a lot of my friends like the idea of their bodies being spread around the earth like compost, but I'm just speculating and I'm not really sure. 


I've always felt open to the different ways in which my body might be cared for after I die. Knowing that my mother was buried opens that possibility up to me, but, just like my peers, being cremated seems, for some reason, attractive to me. I'm also open to the idea of donating my organs to somebody after I die. I'm hoping that by the end of this unit, I'll have a more concrete idea on what I think I'd like to have happen to my body upon my death, but these ideas are still new to me. 


I think that the most important thing for me is that the ceremony of my death should be a celebration where there's music and dancing, food and merriment. I want people to enjoy themselves and hopefully have good thoughts on me and my life rather than it to be a sad and somber occasion. And, most of all, I don't want anyone wearing black.  

preguntas:

how have people who don't belong to one religion deal with death?

what responsibility do those who have lost a loved one bear for protecting the legacy and memory of the deceased?

how does religion play into how we care for the deceased?

Is organ donation okay if your body is used for something like plastic surgery as opposed to giving someone a chance at life?