hey, I'm not a religious person. i was in AA for 18 (wonderful) years and learned how to live a spiritual life that was really just about living according to ethical principles like "doing the next right thing", trying to give back - especially to new incoming alcoholics, live honestly and truthfully. etc. But again, I'm not religious (though I was raised Catholic). In fact I'm professionally trained to be a rationalist (I have a Ph.D. in the social sciences). But my time in AA helped me to believe in a Higher Power of some sort. I can't tell you what that Higher Power is, because I don't know. I just came to believe that a power greater than myself was there and could help me stay sober and lead a good life. The reason I'm sharing all that is to let you know that I don't have a problem with religions, they're just not for me. And I suppose because I'm not a religious person in the formal sense, I have no belief in an afterlife. I simply believe that when we die we end. I don't fear hell nor hope to see lost loved ones in heaven. I just think our biochemical processes come to an end and that it. That said, we certainly "live on" in the memories people will carry with them for better or worse. And of course, that gets me back to my concern for my daughter. I want to leave her with the best possible memories of our time together. I want her to know in her heart that I loved her beyond measure. Hopefully I will live on in heart in a way that gives her comfort that she brought me so much joy. Sorry to ramble on. Hope that helps.