Wow. Pretty insightful. To your theory, if the elements that make up our corporeal selves are constantly being recycled, then part of your kneecap was also part of a dinosaur. We house all life that came before us. We are the ingredients to all life that follows us. There is something particularly soothing about that. As much or more than an afterlife.

Lots of comments saying, "if there's no afterlife what's the point of living?" And the weird dude blithering on about hope. They all seem to have missed the point. The point of life is life. There doesn't need to be an end.

Thanks for the essay. It was well written.