Making Memories that Last

It is often said that we are the sum of our parts… That the key events we experience contribute to who we will become. The memories you leave behind will not only help family and friends remember you, but they might just learn something new in the story of you. Compiling your memories and stories in Check-Out’s Making Memories section is a valuable opportunity for you to tell your story, and be remembered the way you want to be.

As photo albums have become a vulnerable relic from the past, it is important to leave behind a repository of memories that loved ones can interact with on their terms. This article provides an overview and some tips on how to compile memories, or write your family’s history so that they will live on in these digital times.

Making Memories that Last With Check-Out

It is ironic that as people struggle to find meaning within these device-driven times, that they tend to visit their devices to search for that meaning. More than 95% of the adult population own a mobile phone while 69% have at least one social media account. It’s safe to say that the consumption of photos and stories via backlit screens are here to stay.

When you use CheckOutPlan to keep your memories safe, you have many advantages beyond a standard social media platform. Let us count the ways:

1. One central location to store your memories.
2. Storing your memories in a digital format and with a CheckOutPlan means that they are off-site and protected from fire, theft and environmental damage.
3. Team members can share this treasure trove with your permission.
4. Provide your memories in a way that others (especially younger generations) can relate to them.
5. Your memories live on. With an active account, family and friends can ask team members for access.
6. More control and safer than using regular social media channels.
7. Why wait? Use Check-Out Plan for secure, private storage… Today!

Organize Your Stories to be a Better Storyteller

Who will be your readers? Consider the family and friends who will consume this material. Applying the basic principles of good storytelling will help people engage with your stories on a deeper level.

Consider organizing your stories using the following approach:

1. Chronological (from childhood to adulthood)
2. By Event (such as (“My Favorite Christmas”)
3. By lesson or moral of the story (such as “Things I’ve Learned”)
4. By topic or person (i.e., “My Favorite Moments with My Son”)

Tips to Create Lasting Digital Memories

To ensure that family and friends can actually interact with this wealth of stories and photos, it is essential that basic best practices are incorporated.

Each medium of the memories you wish to capture, whether photos, film, VHS or other, requires a slightly different approach:

• Old Photographs: Typically, old photos are sorted, scanned, named and organized neatly into folders. It is possible to either do it yourself or take them to a company that offers photo processing. Most also offer scanning. Printers and copy shops also offer scanning. 

• Negatives: So many of us have boxes of negatives that no longer have an accompanying photo. Negatives degrade over time and its very important to ensure they have been captured before they are literally lost forever.  There are many helpful online resources to help with any of these process, from “How To” videos on YouTube to websites like this one: https://www.organizingphotos.net/store-photo-negatives/  that provide knowledge and services.

• Stories: While you can use literally any word processing program to write your stories, it is a good idea to save them into popular  file formats such as Microsoft Word (.docx) or Text Edit (.txt) or save the file as RichText (.rtf) a generic format that most programs can open such. If you are concerned about security of your stories and you want to ensure that no one can edit them, it is quite easy to save your story as a PDF (.pdf). Using a PDF-friendly software like the free Acrobat Reader™ or similar, you can “lock” or “add security” to your stories so that people can only read them, but they cannot copy the text or easily alter it.

Otherwise, if the privacy of your story is essential, you could print, scan and upload these documents to your Making Memories folder.

VHS Tapes and Film: These are most easily dealt with by taking them to a company that provides this type of analog (tapes) to digital (electronic files) conversion. Here is an article that describes the process and options in greater detail: https://www.consumerreports.org/audio-video/how-to-convert-film-and-vhs-to-digital/

Taking Photos of Important Objects: Maybe you’re writing a story about a meaningful event and wish to include a photo of an item that was part of the story… This is easily done with your phone. The most direct approach is to:

1.  Photograph the item with your phone
2. Open Check-Out on your phone
3. Upload that photo directly into your plan

As well, you can download your photos into your computer and upload them into your Check-Out plan… It’s that easy!

Helping Your Memories Live On Using Check-Out

Once you select Complete and click Update in Making Memories, your stories and photos can be accessed by your team. Depending on the permission you’ve provided, the team will have the ability to share the contents of your Making Memories folder with family and friends.

Check-Out helps families plan their end-of-life events, store their memories and more. Discover how easy and rewarding it is to lead the conversation and planning about the other certainty. Tell your stories and build a plan that will support your family and friends when they need it most!

Visit CheckOutPlan.com to discover how today.

Article by Check-Out Planning Services Ltd. Copyright © 2019