Jul
14
Written by:
host
7/14/2009 7:00 AM
So, you've drawn up your will, paid your life insurance premium regularly, made arrangements for someone to care for your children or pets, and even pre-paid for a niche in your church's columbarium. You're feeling pretty responsible and know you have left a gift to your loved ones. But have you given any thought to what happens to all of those bits and bytes you have stored on computers all over the world?
The truth is that many of us forget that our family members will need or want access to our email, online bank accounts, passwords, and social networks in the event of our death. After all, these days many of us store our address book, our financial records, and virtually everything else that can be digitized on our computers or on various websites. Gaining access to email and other accounts can be extremely difficult or impossible if one does not have the usernames and passwords.
Why not hold a workshop in your church once per year (perhaps in combination with a "Plan your own funeral workshop") in which you help individuals think through the issues related to their digital life after their death. Some of the kinds of questions that can be explored include...
- What do you want done with your email? Who can read it? Do you want an email sent to everyone in your address book informing them of your death? Is your email a paid account, and if so when should it be cancelled?
- What passwords are critical to access your computer and financial accounts? Where can your executor or a family member get access to them? Will more than one individual be able to access your accounts?
- If you use social networking sites such as Facebook, do you want your accounts to remain open as a place for online memorials?
- Are there any digital journals or documents about your life that should be printed or archived for future generations to read?
- Where are your digital photos or videos stored? Do you want family members to have them?
Most of us don't like to spend time thinking about our demise, and we often convince ourselves that we'll be able to deal with such matters in the future. If you know that to be true about yourself, realize that many others in your congregation (not to mention the wider community) feel the same way. Talking about these matters within the context of the church can be very helpful to those who feel as if they cannot talk with family members about death-related topics. The community of faith one belongs to is an ideal place for sharing, support, and soul-searching.
~ Tim Gossett