A Book I Like - "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning"

There's a quirky little gift shop in Poulsbo, WA that has a unique assortment of wares- bath bombs, kids' toys, and books are the three main categories I remember. I was casually looking through the gifty-type books when a particular title screamed my name- The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. I didn't even open it up, or read the back cover. I immediately took it to the cashier and bought it. Why? Because I love all of those words, and all put together in one book title? This clearly had to be the best thing I would ever read.

Was it? Kind of! What it actually is, is a memoir-meets-how-to written by a rather elderly Swedish woman who chronicles her process of 'death cleaning,' meaning, slowly but steadily sorting through and clearing out her possessions so as not to burden her family with the overwhelming task of managing her estate when she passes.

I love this book for a number of reasons. One, I love old people, and the author, artist Margareta Magnusson, is hilarious, pragmatic, and joyful. She has a very zen approach to the inevitability of death, and whether you're an older person or not, reading her approach to purging, especially in regards to personal items such as letters, books, heirlooms, old furniture, etc., may inspire you.

"A loved one wishes to inherit nice things from you, not all things from you."

There are also some practical organization ideas in the book, such as taking the time to scan old photographs so you can put them on a USB and send them off to your family members- and then you can shred the photos! Yes, do it!

My aunt, who is in her mid-70's and has long been the 'keeper' of old family photos and objects on my paternal grandmother's side of the family, has been doing this for a few years now. I have kept some of the original photos and items she's sent me (my great-grandma's colorful phoenix brooch, an original Western Electric Company oak wall telephone that my great-uncle Bobby hid when the phone company came to install their first rotary phone in the 50's), but most things I'm a big proponent of digitizing when possible, so I can keep the memories forever without having to keep the stuff forever.

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning is a candid, fun, and thoughtful book- at just over 100 pages, it will maybe take you a lunch break or two to read, but the poignant advice and anecdotes within will have you thinking for a long time.

Copyright (c) 2018 Margareta Magnusson. Image cover courtesy of Scribner, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.