myfootprints.com

I was recently introduced to MyFootprints.com. I have to admit, when I first saw the website, I was a little unnerved to think about “planning ahead” for my death. But, death is a part of every life, so I might as well embrace the little things I can do to help those that care about me after I’m gone, by providing them with anecdotes about my life.

There is a YouTube video explains the purpose of MyFootprints.com really well. You’ll find the video embedded at the end of this entry. I suggest you check it out. :)

Anyway, with MyFootprints.com, after you register, you can begin entering information about yourself. There is the basic information, such as name, birthdate, address and location, as well as work information and educational history. But there is more – a lot more. MyFootprints.com offers a dynamic family tree, so you can work on building it as you go along in life. There is also a timeline, which I found especially neat, where you can document important milestones in your life (births, deaths, marriages, moves, etc.).

My timeline:
timeline

The more unnerving aspects (for me, anyway) of the website included choosing keyholders, who, upon your death, will be notified of your profile and be able to access it. There are areas for secret journal entries, last wishes, last emails, even last videos. There is also a postal code monitor, which can alert you to deaths of people you know that live in the zipcodes you specify.

There is also a “last wishes” area, where you can choose what type of ending “ceremony” you would like for your body – a burial or a cremation (as of yet, I’m undecided, though I am leaning more towards cremation!). You can choose the funeral home you would prefer, describe the type of casket you would like, visitation, service and other things that are usually done after a person’s death.

While it’s weird to try to plan ahead for your death, I can appreciate what this part of the site has to offer. When my grandmother died, my grandfather, mother and myself were at a loss as to what to do, what she would want, what kind of service, where to have it at, etc. I do like the idea of setting up guidelines for my family to follow. They will have enough to deal with – their grief – so I might as well make the necessary preparations a little easier for them.

Overall, I really like this site. I registered an account, and I plan to keep it updated as my life goes on. I invited my husband and mother, so hopefully they’ll join as well.

P.S. I don’t know if you can “look people up” on MyFootprints.com, but if you can, my username is kiss-my-kitty.


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