Rest Assured

Legacy is a matter of life — and death. And if you’ve made plans for how you live, there’s no excuse to leave without a plan. Thankfully, such end-of-life conversations aren’t staying buried any longer.

- Min Chen

One life, it seems, ain’t quite enough for Dolly Parton. Already, the country music icon is making plans for her afterlife.

“I am trying to put songs down for that very purpose,” she said in the final episode of the Dolly Parton’s America podcast, which aired in January.

“There’s enough stuff to go on forever with my music — to do compilation albums, to do new and original stuff.” It’s her way of solidifying her gold-plated legacy, while readying herself for her inevitable promotion to heaven. “I don’t wanna ever leave my stuff in the same shape like Prince or Aretha [Franklin],” she added. “I’m one of those people who believe in being prepared.”

Even for the rest of us, there’s something about being prepared for the coming end. That idea of end-of-life planning, however, doesn’t always sit comfortably with everyone. And why would it? Personal fears, cultural superstitions and other taboos keep us from dwelling on death — especially our own. Not for nothing did Aristotle reckon dying to be “the most terrible of all things”, and the Chinese studiously avoid the number four, which in Mandarin, sounds like the word for death. It’s also why a 2019 study by the Institute of Policy Studies found that while most Singaporeans would like “a good death”, robust end-of-life care and decision-making are still wanting.