Ame
あめ
- Nov 1, 2019
- 322
I hate to devote an entire thread to one of my own questions when I haven't really contributed anything useful to this forum, so I invite you to reply with your own thoughts and experiences on this matter.
I'm conflicted.
There are a few friends that I have made online who are very dear to me. I am not referring to the parasocial "relationships" that can come about while following others on social media, but rather, friends that I have spoken to and confided in for years (and in some cases interacted with offline). I don't really have any social media that crosses over into my social circles offline (for instance I don't use Facebook where most people would interact with their family and friends) and so there would be no way for these friends to see any postings made by my family when the time comes.
Should I just vanish and let them assume that I have ghosted them? I imagine that they would feel hurt but I don't think that the pain of the breakdown of a friendship really compares to the death of a friend (I could be wrong). A part of me feels like it would be better to let them resent me but continue on blissfully unaware. What they do not know cannot hurt them (although I am aware that worrying about the aftermath is a bit of a moot point once I'm dead) and as far as I am aware, I do not believe that they have any reason to believe that I am actively suicidal.
Should I write farewell emails for them and queue them to be sent after my passing? The logistics of the latter method are a bit complicated seeing as almost no one uses e-mail to communicate with friends when there are much more efficient means like texting or IM's. I also have no intention of leaving my family with the burden of contacting others on my behalf. They would have more than enough on their plate.
Thank you so much for your input on this matter.
I'm conflicted.
There are a few friends that I have made online who are very dear to me. I am not referring to the parasocial "relationships" that can come about while following others on social media, but rather, friends that I have spoken to and confided in for years (and in some cases interacted with offline). I don't really have any social media that crosses over into my social circles offline (for instance I don't use Facebook where most people would interact with their family and friends) and so there would be no way for these friends to see any postings made by my family when the time comes.
Should I just vanish and let them assume that I have ghosted them? I imagine that they would feel hurt but I don't think that the pain of the breakdown of a friendship really compares to the death of a friend (I could be wrong). A part of me feels like it would be better to let them resent me but continue on blissfully unaware. What they do not know cannot hurt them (although I am aware that worrying about the aftermath is a bit of a moot point once I'm dead) and as far as I am aware, I do not believe that they have any reason to believe that I am actively suicidal.
Should I write farewell emails for them and queue them to be sent after my passing? The logistics of the latter method are a bit complicated seeing as almost no one uses e-mail to communicate with friends when there are much more efficient means like texting or IM's. I also have no intention of leaving my family with the burden of contacting others on my behalf. They would have more than enough on their plate.
Thank you so much for your input on this matter.
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