if

at a certain moment in my life, a doctor will determine that my brain has ceased to function and that, for all intents and purposes, my life has stopped.

when that happens, do not attempt to install artificial life into my body by use of a machine. and don't call this my deathbed, call it my bed of life. and let my body be taken from it to help others lead fuller lives. give my sight to a man who has never seen a sunrise, a baby's face, or love in the eyes of a woman. give my heart to a person whose own heart has caused nothing but endless days of pain. give my blood to the teenager who has been pulled from the wreckage of his car, so that he might live to see his grandchildren play. give my kidneys to one who depends on a machine to exist from week to week. take my bones, every muscle, every fiber and nerve in my body and find a way to help a crippled child walk. explore every corner of my brain. take my cells, if necessary, and let them grow so that someday a speechless boy will shout at the crack of a bat and a deaf girl will hear the sound of rain against her windows. know that i loved you, even unto death. burn what is left of me and scatter the ashes to the winds to help the flowers grow. if you must bury something, let it be my faults, my weaknesses, and all prejudice against my fellow man. give my soul to god. if by chance you wish to remember me, do it with a kind deed, a selfless apology, or a gentle word to someone who needs you. if you do all i have asked, i will live forever.