Death and Life After Death

Life after death.  I believe the only life after death is the life that goes on without you.  After you die, everyone you knew, everyone you didn't know, all plants and animals live regardless of your passing.  I don't believe your soul goes anywhere when you die.  I'm not sure I even believe in souls.  I think the term can be used when talking about one's psyche, morals, etc., but otherwise, I believe autonomous beings simply exist, then cease to exist.

To understand life after death, you need to understand life.  Not as in, "you have to have life figured out," but as in how life starts and, for death, how exactly it ends.  I have a very hard time understanding how life happens.  How can it come from nonliving things? So, since I don't understand life, I don't understand death, or life after death.  

Like I stated earlier, I don't believe there is a life after death, but that's not a firm belief because I don't fully understand it.  Theres no reason to believe one way or another.  However, I like to be decisive, so I've taken the view I have.  That being said, it's really hard to talk about the unknown.  It's hard to explain what no one knows.  Just look at how awkwardly I've said everything. 

I don't believe in immortality of any kind.  Even the memory of you will die once those who knew you do.  Glory, fame, having your name in history, non of them will last forever.  As for Plato's thoughts on immortality, your lineage will eventually end, so you aren't imorrtal by passing your blood down the line like he thinks.  Anything you create that might allow you to live on past your death will eventually be destroyed, as will everything else in the world.

Wow, that sounds really depressing.  That's not how I mean it.  It's just a fact that things end.  As surly as something comes into existence, it will eventually end.  That doesn't have to be feared though.   It's inevitable, and fearing your own death does nothing but make your life a little less enjoyable while you have it.  You won't be able to be upset about your death once you're gone.  

Other people's mortality is, too, inevitable, but it's much harder to reason your way out of feeling things for them than it is for your own demise.  After their death, you still have the ability to feel.  With your own death, you don't.  The best thing to do then, is to cherish their life, as well as your own, while it exists.  Then, almost as inevitable as death itself, you grieve for what's gone from your life, from what's been taken from you, and what's been taken from them.