The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning [book by Margareta Magnusson]

Greetings all!

Recently at lunch a very young colleague of mine mentioned that she told her friends what flowers and music to have at her funeral [hopefully at some very distant future]. While a bit morbid, she thought it would be considerate towards her friends so that they did not have to think about those things during their time of grief.

As I was pondering this, I came across the book “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to free yourself and your family from a lifetime of clutter.” The main message is to “remove unnecessary things and make your home nice and orderly when you think the time is coming closer for you to leave the planet.”

Image from www.cartoonstock.com

In my opinion, most of us have (and continue to acquire) a lot of possessions that unnecessarily crowd our physical and mental space; and it is a nice idea to declutter periodically, regardless of where you are in your life journey.

Here are some of my favorite passages:

“..It is rewarding to spend time with these objects one last time and then dispose of them. Each item has its own history, and remembering this history is often enjoyable.

Death cleaning is not about dusting or mopping up; it is a permanent form of organization that makes your everyday life run more smoothly.

Don’t start with photographs – or letters and personal papers, for that matter.

Life becomes more pleasant and comfortable if we get rid of some of the abundance.

It is not the amount of clothing that makes a person well-dressed. [It is] all about choosing clothing carefully and then organizing it well. [My note – I love this! This is so Marie Kondo, the Spark Joy lady!!!]

Mess is an unnecessary source of irritation.

Sometimes the smallest changes can have amazing effects.

To hunt for misplaced things is never an effective use of your time.

A loved one wishes to inherit nice things form you. Not all things from you.

This cycle of consumption we are all part of will eventually destroy our planet – but it doesn’t have to destroy the relationship you have with whomever you leave behind.

To know something will be well used and have a new home is a joy.

If you think the secret will cause your loved ones harm or unhappiness, then make sure to destroy them.

When I find things …that have absolutely no value to anyone else, but enormous value for me, I ... get my “Throw Away” box. Once I am gone, the box can be destroyed.”

I think this paragraph from the book sums it up nicely, “Death cleaning is also something you can do for yourself, for your own pleasure. One’s own pleasure, and the chance to find meaning and memory, is the most important thing. It is a delight to go through things and remember their worth. And if you don’t remember why a thing has meaning or why you kept it, it has no worth, and it will be easier for you to part with.”

I really enjoyed reading this book. It was wise and philosophical in a gentle and humorous way and gave some good tips and ideas on decluttering!

What did you think? Drop me a line!