Let’s Talk About Death: Can I find joy in grief?

Death is inevitable. A part of life, one could say. Yet so many of us are reluctant to discuss the matter openly. It’s often done in hushed tones, possibly to avoid awkwardness.

For Ms Ho Hui Sze, 31, a counselling psychologist, losing her father to cancer in 2021 left her grieving for a long time. One way in which she coped was by starting a podcast, Being With Grief.

In the fifth episode of The Straits Times’ docuseries Let’s Talk About Death, we see how Ms Ho explores ways to support the grief journeys of her loved ones when she dies.

She explores creating a virtual 3D bedroom. This can serve as an online memorial where she can curate stories for her loved ones to remember ​her by, based on items with sentimental value.

Ms Ho also looks at the process of water cremation, a​ gentler alternative to traditional cremation. The question is, will this option be available in Singapore?

Then it is off to a Death Over Dinner event at Indian restaurant Podi & Poriyal, organised by social enterprise The Life Review, which aims to normalise conversations about dying and bereavement.

At this dinner party designed to inspire talk of death, Ms Ho and her three tablemates discuss their ideal funerals over chakka briyani.

Ms Denise Soon says she has already discussed her funeral with her younger sister Vanessa. They have decided on jet-black vampire-style coffins embossed with rock ’n’ roll flames. The soundtrack to their funeral? Tunes from American rock band Guns N’ Roses.

Ms Ho feels that her journey has led her to feel hopeful about the resources available to support her loved ones in their grief, and she wants others to embrace their own grief experiences.

Let’s Talk About Death is a five-episode docuseries that follows several millennials and their loved ones as they navigate end-of-life planning, and it starts honest conversations about death and dying well.