Memorial Day Is About Memories - Real and Digital

By Rikard Steiber, CEO of GoodTrust

Memorial Day is seen by Americans as the unofficial start to summer. And as the pandemic eases in many parts of the country it’s increasingly an opportunity to get back to a sense of normalcy, reunite with family, and enjoy the outdoors and various activities. But of course it’s also a time of reflection to pay respect to the memory of military service people who died in the performance of their duties. At GoodTrust, we’ve had the privilege of getting to know a number of active military personnel and Veterans through our efforts to help people preserve their digital legacy. A recent story on CBS This Morning featured Veteran Jennifer Sardam (below) who realized she needed a plan to preserve her countless digital assets (photos, videos, emails, financial accounts, social media posts, valuable documents and more). She wanted to ensure they could be passed on to her children.

It’s a dilemma faced by all parents in today’s connected age - how to best manage all that digital content in terms of who will receive it after you pass away? Or how to help someone else take care of it on behalf of a loved one? Military service people rely on technology to stay in touch when serving overseas or posted somewhere for extended periods of time. Those memories and assets add up over time and create a lasting legacy for anyone. But the reality is that serving in the military means that death is never far from the minds of family members and having a plan in place to take care of these memories and assets is vital. 

We also believe that Memorial Day is an opportunity to take stock of what you want to preserve or memorialize and perhaps have those discussions with other family members and friends. It’s also the perfect time to add a Trusted Contact (e.g. family member or friend) to your account if you’re a new or existing GoodTrust user, which makes certain that your wishes won’t be lost in the event of your death.

There’s no question that Memorial Day serves as a moment to let loose a bit and enjoy all that life has to offer. But we can’t forget its importance as a time for remembrance. And taking care of your digital legacy for you or someone else can be a priceless gesture to ensure it stands the test of time.