With a beautiful bouquet in their arms, a group of friends arrived at a home in Singapore. They made their way through a living room with setups for a projector and live music and a dining area where plates and food were already prepared.
As they reach the kitchen, they are greeted by Michelle “Mike” Ng. And while signs of her disease are apparent physically, her spirits remained high.
At 27, Ng was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer.
By the end of that year, she discovered that the cancer had spread all over her body and had now become terminal.
It was at that point that she decided to do something bold for her friends and family. She decided to invite all of them to her home for a “living funeral.”
The concept may seem strangely morbid for some.
We can only imagine that this kind of decision may have been met by tearful opposition and whispers saying the fight should go on and that there are still ways available.
For some, however, this may be the last chance for them to be someone’s lover, sister, daughter, and friend.
“In an event when somebody dies people rush to call the funeral directors and do not really spend that intimate time with the body that has just passed on,’ she said,” Ng said in an interview with OGS. OGS or Our Grandfather Story documented the event.
Her closest friends attended the event.
Friends who lived far away, friends whom she hadn’t seen for a long time, and friends who had been with her through the fight.
“I don’t want to wait until I’m dead,” she shared honestly. “I only wanted to see my loved ones and my friends. While I’m still alive. I don’t know how much more I can be a friend to them.”
For her friends, it’s also an avenue to share that kind of love.
Eulogies aren’t just words shared with those who remained any longer, but a chance to express their love to that one person they are about to lose.
It’s also a chance for Ng to share the most important parts of herself and for her to say proper goodbyes. At the end of the event, despite the exhaustion, she handed out letters to each person who attended.
“Death is not scary,” she said, “It’s the dying part that makes it terrifying. It’s not the same as death.”
The occasion forced us to look deeper into our perspectives on death and funerals.
Other people shared their experiences with the same events. One commenter shared that she organized a “How Did I Meet You?” party for his terminally ill husband and said it was “really beautiful.”
“Honestly, this is better than a traditional funeral since the dying one can hear how much her friends and families loved her before her time came up, she can really go in peace.” Said one commenter.
Ng passed away last January 2, just two weeks after her living funeral.
Watch how a woman changed our perspectives on funerals with this bold event.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
