Happy Final Resting Place; Personalized Coffins, Caskets Celebrate Lif... Grief & Loss

A Happy Final Resting Place

If your life has been filled with joyous experiences, why spend the rest of eternity sealed in a run-of-the-mill casket? That's part of the reason a Singapore philanthropy partnered with a local nursing home to come up with a concept known as commissioned a community of Singapore artists and designers to create personalized coffins for three of the home's residents. Before the wooden caskets were painted, the three recipients discussed their lives, passions and dreams with the artists tasked with customizing the coffins. One casket had a colorful rendering of yellow sunbursts, musical notes and angels against a white background, along with the words: "Love is the only thing we can carry with us as we go & it makes the end easy." "The traditional negative associations surrounding the coffin were transformed into a celebratory symbol of courage, life and beauty," says Lien CEO Lee Poh Wah, 40. "It gets people to focus on how the departed have lived." Blair S. Walker frequently writes for the Bulletin’s In the News section. Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures

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