The Viewing

First to preface- I do not mean this in any rude, offensive, or insensitive way at all. I am sorry if anything I say, comes across that way, but it is in NO way intended to be hurtful or offensive.
With that said, on to the purpose of the post.
In the last year, I have found myself attending more funerals than I have in many years. My aunt past away this summer after suffering for many years with cancer. Her funeral was the first one that I had been to since I was fourteen. This week, an old Bishop in my home ward also past away, and his funeral is this weekend.
Now there is one aspect that I just do not understand about funerals at all. That would be the Viewing. It seems a little creepy to me to be honest. The idea that you invite everyone to come see a dead body is a little weird. Why do they need to see that? Is it to confirm that the person is dead? I really do not want the last thing that people see of me to be my empty shell of a body in a casket.
I know that the Viewing is suppose to help people with thier greif of loosing this person, and that it also helps bring about the reality of this person actually being gone, but I really do not want this to be the last image of me.
At my aunt's funeral, her brother said something that really stuck with me. (Well there was alot, but this is relevent) He said that death is only a hard thing for those who are getting left behind, that is us. It is hard because we are going to miss the person that is gone, and that there is so much uncertainty that exists after death, and that is why we are sad. But it is not that way on the other side- that is to say Heaven. If we have faith, and believe that there is life after death, and beleive in the Atonement of Christ, than death should be a celebration because we are returning to our Heavenly Father, and our family who has already passed on. And that there is a party that is going on in Heaven whenever anyone returns home.
I love this idea! This is how I want to be remembered. I want a big party to happen both here on earth and in heaven!
So that did not quite go the direction I thought it would, but that is where it went.
What is the point of all this? I think it is to celebrate life at all times, young or older. Everyone has a life to live, and has lived a life and that is what we should celebrate at partings- the time we had to spend together.