Island Senior: Clearing the Clutter

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, July 5, 2023

By Peggy Sue McRae,

Journal contributor.

Last week we concluded the eight-week Aging Mastery Reading and Discussion Group facilitated by our public library. Have I mastered aging? I wouldn’t go that far but I did make a few positive changes that I think will stick. In the package we received accompanying the course was a deck of cards with prompts or suggestions of ways to make positive changes. I selected four items to focus on: Clear the clutter, Hydrate!, Meditate for 10 minutes, and Make something beautiful.

I started with clearing the clutter. My kitchen had reached a state where there was no counter space left and the cupboards were full. It was time to go cupboard-by-cupboard taking everything out, culling the contents, and reorganizing. I started with my tea cupboard.

I have a lot of tea. I decided I needed to start drinking more ice tea. To that end I bought myself a tempered glass pitcher that can take boiling water and go right into the fridge. While it takes a minimal amount of pre-planning it is simple enough. Not only have I cleared some clutter but this was helping me meet my goal to “Hydrate!” as well. It’s a plus for my health to drink more tea and less carbonated beverages not to mention saving money. I felt pretty smart about making this small change.

I am now four episodes into a television series called The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning. This program is based on the book by Margareta Magnusson. Americans are squeamish about death. We don’t like to talk about it. The Swedes gently point out that our own lives and the lives of our loved ones will be happier if we can acknowledge the inevitable and free ourselves from material excess. It benefits us by making our own lives more intentional and is a blessing for our loved ones who will not have to deal with our clutter after we are gone.

The program, produced and narrated by Amy Poehler, features a team of Swedes composed of an organizer, a designer, and a psychologist who sweep into American homes to help a diverse variety people get rid of the stuff that is getting in the way of them living their best life. Each one-hour program contains plenty of humor, a few tears, and lots of helpful tips.

Here are just a few tips from the Swedish Death Cleaners. Start with the easiest places. Take it slow, think of it as a lifestyle change rather than a goal to complete. Keep things that make your life beautiful. Gift items to people who you know will appreciate them. Never start with the photos because they will lead you down memory lane. Save those for last.