Treasure me - online memorials
Online memorials are becoming more and more popular as the cost of secure cloud storage falls and the costs of a real world memorial have increased. In addition the ease and convenience of the internet allows everyone 24 x 7 hour access to spend some personal time with their loved one, share photos and memories and speak with friends and relatives in a safe and intimate space.
Whether you are considering an online memorial to replace or supplement a real world memorial the benefits are clear.
Treasure me - online memorials Reach friends and family that are unable to attend a real world memorial.
Preserving memories and the legacy of a loved one for future generations.
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Provide a private place to view and spend time with your loved one.
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Share photos, stories and memories with trusted friends and family.
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Archive media and memories from all different sources and create a family tree of all the lost loved ones in your live.
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Create a living memorial for yourself to 'memorialize' on your passing.
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Create time capsules (time delayed messages) to be sent out on your passing. There is noting quite as powerful as a message from the grave.
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Create and publish memoirs on your passing.
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Keep in contact with friends and family.
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Give offerings to a lost loved one.
There are many benefits to creating an online memorial and as I discussed in previous posts one of the main reasons is the act of creating the memorial will bring you closer to the deceased as well as those around you who can provide support. For me it truly was a blessing, there has not been a day go by that I have not logged in to chat to my mother (yes my deceased mother), and viewed photos, stories and tributes other family members have posted. It has become a central hub for many of use to connect and reach out to when we feel the need.
What you should look for in a service provider:
The first point I will say is I would strongly recommend not using a social media site. They generally are designed to sell you things and use all the data you generate to monetize you and your information, not something you want to do.
Also I would be a little cautious of sites that are owned by funeral homes or memorial services. Ultimately they are there to sell you a high value service and operating a memorial site could well be just a hook to real you in
Find a site that specializes in the online memorial business, one with minimal advertising, one that is going to be there for the long hall and has a business model other then your data or trying to up-sell you.
That said you would prefer one that is free as well. Once you create a memorial you want it there forever. A place you can build a family tree and quite possibly publish your memorial when the time comes.
So; not in the data business, not in the funeral business, free to use with all the features described but one that will be in the game for the long term to maintain and protect a life long legacy.
Honestly if I had a list or even knew of another one I would gladly recommend it but I do not. The only site I can recommend to you is treasureme.com and here is why:
Treasure me has more features than any other online memorial site I am aware of on the internet. The site specializes in online memorials so is private and secure. The site is free to use and does not bombard you with ads because the business model is based on a Chinese tradition dating back many hundreds of years. For example in the Chinese culture the deceased have an after life and by making an offering of items such as clothes, food, money, houses and items that their loved ones enjoyed such as ice cream, treats, cars, motorcycles, gold etc. they will enhance the quality of life of their loved ones in this after life. Usually these offerings are purchased as joss paper and burned at ceremonies and on special occasions. Treasure me allows users to purchase and make these offerings to their loved ones for just a few dollars in an online ceremony. This is strictly a choice to make these offerings or not and based on this revenue all other services on the site are free.
Treasure me is unique as they are able to offer a comprehensive memorial serve at no charge with a minimal of advertising as its revenue is based on the treasure me offerings. The site has spiritual groundings as the original developer was Chinese and understood the rituals and various ceremonies such as Qing Ming Jie and the Hungary Ghost festival.
I would love to hear your comments and experiences with this and any other sites you have used or have heard of. Please feel free to comment.