I am Swedish Death Cleaning, a method popularized by Margareta Magnusson, author of The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. No, it's not a response to the election outcome. I started death cleaning some time ago when we began work on our estate plan. I thought about what my children would experience when they cleaned my home after my death, or when I decide to downsize, and I knew I didn't want them to have to deal with my clutter. And so I am letting go of things I don't need. What has surprised me about the effort is that I no longer need to be surrounded by stuff. In fact, I feel a growing sense of relief as more and more boxes leave the house.
Sure, the stuff once served a purpose. When your life lacks love and joy, it's easy to think the lack might be assuaged by a marvelous thrift store purchase, and it works for a time but is certainly far short of being a solution. Wise therapists (for both me and my husband) were instrumental in turning my life around and bringing me peace. So I'm keeping things that bring me joy, which primarily includes a sizable collection of art and a big library, and letting go of mindless accumulation.
I'm not selling the items nor am I hauling them to Goodwill. In the spirit of the Buy Nothing Project, where items are freely given without placing a monetary value on them, I give a good many of my decluttered objects to a teen who sells them online and at markets. I joyfully support this teen, counting the hours saved not having to prepare for a garage sale.
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