Earlier this year, my parents had a “death talk” with me. They said they had already written their wills, explained their funeral preferences and added that they did not want to be put on life support in the final stages of a terminal illness.
I must admit I found the conversation unsettling. It felt like a reminder to myself of their impermanence, even though at 70 and 64, they are still relatively healthy. To think of a life without those who brought me into this world made me emotional and uncomfortable. I guess that’s because death has long been a taboo topic, leading to a “culture of silence” surrounding it. In most Asian families, any mention of death in a conversation brings about exclamations of “choy, choy, touch wood!” from the older generation.
Talking to our loved ones about their death smacks of being disrespectful and unfilial. However, I am glad my parents are not like this.
related: Gen Y Speaks: I am dying and I want to talk about death
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