So, Is It All Meaningless?

One of the most well-known criticisms of atheism by theists is that atheism makes life meaningless. If atheism(naturalistic atheism, I should say) is true, there is no purpose, and when we die we merely cease to exist, it's all for nothing. But is this point against atheism defensible?

Temporary Life

So if life is only a brief interlude in between eras of non-existence, does that make life worthless? To me, the answer seems to be obviously "no". Most positive experiences that we have are only temporary. Love fades and good feelings die, friendships fall apart, but that doesn't mean that love or friendship are meaningless.
In a way, atheism makes life more meaningful. This is all you are going to get, so you'd better make sure you enjoy it! Whereas for religious people it is often a chore to be endured until you meet your creator.

A Lack Of Purpose

"That may be so, but isn't the fact that your life is ultimately meaningless make it not worth living? What purpose can an atheist have?"-- a hear the theist say.

Many things are ultimately meaningless. Many things theists do are ultimately meaningless, regardless of whether God exists or not. A theist reading this blog right now would be an ultimately meaningless activity.
My life is indeed ultimately meaningless. Five billion years from now, the sun will explode and any life left on the planet will be wiped out(of course, the possibility that Homo sapiens is long dead before then is high.) But that doesn't mean that it can't have meaning to me, or to people who know me.

I'd also like to say that if God exists and that my purpose is to worship him, that is a purpose pushed upon me, not freely chosen. Whereas if the atheist chooses his own path, that is free, and ultimately far more fulfilling, as only following our own choices can be.