Digital Legacy – Considering the Funeral

After reading Jason Cherrington’s recent blog post The Funeral Plan Whats The Point it got me thinking about the similarities between the role of real-world funeral directors and what we do to ensure peoples wishes for their online legacy’s are carried out.

For the funeral director, whose work involves a highly complex and sympathetic set of skills, the funeral is a method whereby the needs of the family are performed in accordance with local statutes and historical law.

The actuality of the proceedings may have a secular or religious aspect, this being determined by the family, in accordance with the deceased’s wishes, beliefs and traditions. The funeral director simply allows the wishes to be carried out, and performs the traditional functions with a gentle reverence and considered grace.

The procedures that surround death, are a panoply of events that need to be attended to and dealt with and in times of bereavement, one’s usual judgement might be blurred, so to have an experienced hand to guide you, such as a funeral director is a blessing.

The immediacy of the event of any bereavement may create ‘knee-jerk’ reactions, that with hindsight might prove to be less than optimal with regard to the handling of the deceased legacy which they have left behind.

What Defines a Legacy?

Over the centuries the value attributed to various possessions have been fairly well established as physical property, ‘actual possessions’ have been the objects of concern with regard to value and legacy, but, and this is a big BUT, times have changed, and the digital world is rapidly absorbing our time and energy. We are creating legacy’s within the digital framework of the cloud.

There is an overwhelming sense, now, in 2013, that where we focus our attention (time and energy) is where we create the relationship with our sense of identity, and worth. Our digital interactions (our expressions of time and energy) are gathering momentum, gaining in value, minute by minute.

Consider this. If you had spent the last 5 years creating a work of art – may be a painting, sculpture, garden or even a custom car, you would feel compelled to ensure that this was considered and recorded as something that you wishes to be passed to someone you love and care for, or perhaps simply to ensure that your creation was noticed as your creation.

Every stroke of the keypad and everything you buy, create or share online is part of your digital creation, one that has value and worth, and needs to be passed to a person of your choice. For if you do not, it could be lost or worse manipulated in a way you would not have liked.

I know that this seems overly dramatic in its presentation, but the time to consider protecting this is now upon us. In essence, choosing the right company to manage and direct your wishes for your digital legacy, is effectively selecting a Funeral Director for your online wishes.

Cirrus Legacy, the International Standard, is here to help you. To ensure that the aspects of your digital creativity and the monetary considerations are held, in a highly secure and discreet manner, to be available at the time when your chosen digital guardians/executors are required to carry out your wishes.

You can find out more about protecting your digital inheritance for your future bloodline from the following resources:-

Cirrus Legacy Website
How Do You Manage Your Digital Legacy
Mind at Rest Wills – Digital Wills Page