Dear friends,
When my husband Pablo passed away, I knew that it would take time to sort through his things (especially his paintings, tools, art books, etc.). I had no idea it would take two years! He had a LOT of stuff!
I’ve been reading about Swedish death decluttering and, while it may seem morbid, to me it makes sense to organize and eliminate unnecessary stuff so my children won’t have to deal with it when I die. Death decluttering is apparently a well-known concept in Sweden and other Scandinavian countries.
I am humbled that while the concept is patently terrific, the application of that concept is harder than I thought. I began with the least emotionally charged stuff – my digital stuff, specifically, my emails that have been steadily growing through the years. I discarded many without a thought. I surprised myself by lingering over emails that frankly still had the power to move me. I’ve kept those and perhaps I’ll look them over again, this time with the added filter of whether they will matter to my children.
I read and am charmed by practical tips on death cleaning. They include:
- Sort through the biggest items first (old furniture, etc. that take up a lot of space); it makes it easier to work on the smaller stuff
- Organize stuff into categories: Keep/sell/toss/donate
- My other filter is to be disciplined about keeping kitchen and other household stuff to things I use often
- My courage will be tried big time when it comes to sorting through my books but, I’m determined to do it!
- Make a dedicated pile for mementos
- Sort and organize important paperwork; review with your loved ones
- And perhaps the most important tip for me: Acquire less so I won’t have to discard them
My reading about this reassures me that there is no right way to declutter or even the right time to do so. It’s a highly personal thing. So, if and when the spirit moves you, I send good wishes! Perhaps you can drop me a note to encourage me to keep at it. Thanks
Best,
Cora
