By Kathy A. Megyeri
Book: “The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly, Life Wisdom from Someone Who Will (Probably) Die Before You,” by Margareta Magnusson, 2022
How ironic that on the very day I was packing up old clothes to donate, I also finished Margareta Magnusson’s delightful book, “The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly,” and then I learned that she had just died. This was the same Swedish author who prompted me to get started in earnest purging my trinkets, clothes, dolls, books, and souvenirs.
Magnusson was a painter and mother of five in her mid-80’s when she wrote her 2018 bestselling book, “The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning” in which she introduced the concept of cleaning up your own mess before you die. That book was translated into more than 30 languages and sold more than a million copies worldwide.
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And she practiced what she preached as she died on March 12 at the age of 91 in Sweden where she lived in a retirement home. Although Japan’s Marie Kondo promoted decluttering, Magnusson, who was five decades older, showed that the job is never finished, and thus, she was always tidying up. If someone admired something in her apartment, Magnusson insisted the person take it as a gift. She recommended starting with bulky items like furniture and then moving on to clothes and then to letters, photos, and diaries all to live in a “smaller, simpler way,” she said.
In “Aging Exuberantly,” Magnusson encourages getting together for drinks with old friends while you still have one another, holding on to your sense of humor, taking care of your hair as a sign you’re still in the “game,” taking care of something every day (be it a pet or a plant), keeping an open mind, wearing stripes, eating chocolate, and above all, taking care not to fall.
She suggests taking a photo of something before you let go of it. She reminds us that death cleaning is mostly about getting organized before dying. And best of all, our children and loved ones will already have nice things from us and not have to sort through cupboards and closets after our passing. She signs off her book by writing, “Get started, MM.” And ironically, the full title of her book, “The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly, Life Wisdom from Someone Who Will (Probably) Die Before You” left me with her wisdom, and now I’m so motivated I’m going to tackle my kitchen cabinets. Thank you, MM.
