Atheists & Agnostics

I'll preface what I say by informing you that I am an atheist, have been since about 7th grade. I do a lot of genealogical work, so that really flavors how I perceive immortality and what becomes of us after we die. Who I am (someday that will be who I WAS) will live on in the memories of others.

At the time of my birth, my only living ancestors were my parents and three grandparents. But, through memories shared by my living ancestors, through photographs, news articles, obituaries, oral stories and other tidbits, I know a lot about ancestors I never met.
Other people who descended from the same people that I did have their own artifacts and stories about our common ancestors. We share what we have. We get richer.

The loved ones we did know live on in our memories: the love, the caring, the smiles, the ball games, the talks on the cool porch after a hard day's work. I think being remembered like this is as close to immortality as I will get.

As for what actually happens to me after death, I find the idea of true immortality to be kind of frightening. To just live on, and on, and on forever just isn't all that appealing to me. I guess over time I have grown to appreciate finitude.