Leaving messages to be opened later
A message written today and opened in fifteen years is not a gimmick: it is often the only way to speak to someone at the exact moment they need it. Here is how to do it properly.
Choose the opening moment before you write
A message meant for "someday" never gets written. A message meant for your daughter’s eighteenth birthday, her first day at her first job, or the birth of her first child writes itself.
So pick the occasion first. It sets the tone, the length and the content, and it prevents the vague text nobody ever re-reads.
What ages well, what ages badly
Your future reader will not live in your era. Some things travel through time; others become unreadable or awkward.
- Ages well: what you feel, what you hope for, a precise everyday scene, a description of the house.
- Ages badly: current events, technology references, advice phrased as instructions.
- Avoid entirely: reproaches and conditions. A message that cannot be argued with should demand nothing.
The technical question: who guarantees delivery?
A scheduled message is only worth as much as the mechanism that must survive until the delivery date. Many "time capsule" services launched a decade ago no longer exist, and their messages vanished with them.
The rule is simple: never rely on a single mechanism. A copy should live in a durable family space, and one trusted person should know a message is waiting, for whom, and on what occasion.
Write several short messages rather than one long one
Three ten-line messages at three different moments beat one long emotional testament. They are easier to write, easier to receive, and they accompany a life instead of closing it.
Re-read them every two or three years. You will change little, but you will often add a new one — which is exactly the point.
Frequently asked questions
Should I tell the person the message exists?
Usually yes. Surprise is worth less than the certainty that the message will actually be delivered. You can announce that it exists without revealing anything of its content.
Video, audio or text?
Video moves people most, audio is easiest to record, text lasts longest. The ideal is to record it, then keep a written transcript alongside the file.
What if the relationship changes in the meantime?
That is precisely why a scheduled message must stay editable. A message you can no longer withdraw or correct becomes a risk rather than a gift.
Solexi does not replace a legal will, a notary or a lawyer. Solexi helps you gather, organize and pass on your information.