Defining my next existence through scientific innovation (#2076)

I am reminded that my mortal self will have an expiration date sometime between the very near future or much further into the future. Either way it will happen. So what do I know that gives me some control over the remains of my carbon based self? I know that my body will decay into an array of atoms and molecules whatever happens to me. The conventional thing to do is to be buried in a plot of ground where a marker can be placed to signify that I once existed to those who had known and to the broader future of those who never knew me. That is one way of allowing my remains to disintegrate back into existence. Or I can allow myself to be cremated in order to facilitate my new molecular makeup for dispersal back into our environment. It is in this second method, cremation, that a variety of options to direct my remains to a well considered purpose is now available. My cremated remains can now be processed as an ingredient directly into a life sustaining enterprise. I can become a tree in a sense. With my atoms and molecules as an ingredient to a mixture that would sprout forward a tree, I can effectively and satisfyingly know while I am still alive that I can be something I admire and respect after I am gone. How cool is it that instead of just taking up space in the ground with a marker, I can be part of something that filters our atmosphere of carbon dioxide to make oxygen. Giving back to life that will come after me is a pleasant thought in that I if only for this one act will have served a purpose with my life. We all are always looking for signs in our lives that validate our existence. Mine has been that if I am gifted with a consciousness and the ability to process information then there must be a purpose for my abilities. What I have learned is that the joy of actually being alive with these abilities that most panoramically and comprehensively magnify my caring and curiosity is the purpose, and enjoying this purpose is what makes me and by extension, us, uniquely human. By furthering the human and other animal environments, at minimum, I have one distinct way of validating my life.