The most certain part about life is that, one day, we will all die. However, talking frankly and candidly about death remains taboo in many different cultures and societies. Now, one group in Singapore is working to dispel the notion that people shouldn’t talk about death through a series of discussions, panels, plays, and art installations.
All of the events scheduled by the group include a humorous look at end of life concerns like health, funeral decisions, legacy questions, and more. One puppet show represents a married couple with two containers holding material that eventually expires — a thermos and a food container. It was performances like this one that got audiences laughing and talking about death as a natural part of life rather than avoiding the subject and being frightened of something that is, for every single person on the earth, inevitable. The puppet show covered everything from the onset of dementia and the need for adult diapers, but in lighthearted ways to get the audience amused and engaged.
One of the organizers of the event spoke about her own grandmother’s death. If her grandmother and the rest of the family had been more open to talking about death prior to the actual event, it would’ve saved the survivors of the grandmother a lot of heartache. When preparing for funeral services, several family members argued over what the grandmother would wear. If that had been solved prior to the grandmother’s death, the family members could have simply adhered to the plan already in place, which would’ve respected any wishes the grandmother had for her final attire. The family members could’ve grieved together instead of arguing over minutiae regarding the funeral procedures.
The event included opportunities to sing, a film, and craft projects. One of the most artistic portions of the day was the opportunity for senior citizens to take part in creating a quilt block that would be sewn together with others to make a legacy quilt. The idea that many different stories are stitched together over the course of a life was the main theme of the project.
In the future, the event will continue to expand to include people who might not yet qualify as senior citizens. It is never to early to start talking about end of life desires and all of the legal and economical planning that must go into managing care and services. The organization looks to sponsor a series of panels and group workshops to cover all of the necessities.
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To read more about the group’s work in Singapore, go to http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/art-drama-make-discussions-on-death-come-alive.