Bid Adieu: Leaving Your Last Goodbyes

None of us know when we’ll draw our last breath. It could be a long, drawn-out disease that we succumb to, it could be in an instant in a freak accident. We all need to prepare to bid adieu to our friends and loved ones. But how do we let those friends that may not immediately find out know that we’ve passed on? I’m talking about those friends that we share online communities with.

Life Flashing Before My Eyes

I was taking my normal route to work, just like any other day. As I passed mile marker fifteen and the third lane began to my right, the truck to my left decided without looking or signaling to change lanes. Fortunately, no one had attempted to pass me on the right yet. I swerved into the truck lane to avoid getting creamed without hitting someone else.

However, I would soon find my second harrowing experience as I reached the crest of the mountain. I only briefly spotted the Jeep with its hazard lights on near the treeline just as I reached the sheet of ice at the summit, feeling my car slide. All I could do was let off of the gas and brake pedals and hope and pray that no one in front of me was going down slower than me, no one behind me was coming up faster, and the 18-wheeler beside me didn’t jackknife. By the time I got to work, my knuckles were white with the death grip I held on the steering wheel.

Really Ghosting

I realized that day that if anything happened to me, many friends in my online communities with would never know. They would just think that I ghosted. And while many of them would never notice, there are those that would notice. I realized that there are those people, though half a world away, might feel hurt by my unexplained absence. So I started contemplating a plan for how to let them all know.

As I researched, I found that leaving account login information in your will is a bad idea since wills are public records. Not exactly a place I would want to leave vital login information. However, it is a good place to start a trail of info. For instance, you can keep your online account info in a secure location and specify that location in your will. Or you can have a friend or family member retain copies or access to this information for emergency situations. Make sure all of your information is kept up-to-date and that if anything happens to your “In Case of Death” contact, that you have a backup.

Parting Words

One thing that I think is of the utmost importance is making sure that everyone that you care about knows that you care. You never know when will be the last time you ever speak to or see each other.

Teaser: Next time we’ll talk about why we only appreciate art after the artist is gone.