Two "Nice" Books

“A loved one wishes to inherit nice things from you. Not all things from you.” ― Margareta Magnusson

“Margareta Magnusson is, in her own words, aged between 80 and 100. Born in Sweden, she has lived all over the world. Margareta graduated from Beckman’s College of Design and her art has been exhibited in galleries from Hong Kong to Singapore. She has five children and lives in Stockholm.”

Non-fiction: Personal Development/Self-Help

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter by Margareta Magnusson

Publisher’s Description (*I can’t describe this book any better than this!): “In Sweden there is a kind of decluttering called döstädning, dö meaning “death” and städning meaning “cleaning.” This surprising and invigorating process of clearing out unnecessary belongings can be undertaken at any age or life stage but should be done sooner than later, before others have to do it for you. In The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, artist Margareta Magnusson, with Scandinavian humor and wisdom, instructs readers to embrace minimalism. Her radical and joyous method for putting things in order helps families broach sensitive conversations, and makes the process uplifting rather than overwhelming. Margareta suggests which possessions you can easily get rid of (unworn clothes, unwanted presents, more plates than you’d ever use) and which you might want to keep (photographs, love letters, a few of your children’s art projects). Along the way readers get a glimpse into her life in Sweden, and also become more comfortable with the idea of letting go.”

For anyone who is intrigued by the Marie Kondo method of tidying-up, but not on board with the "magic" and "life-changing" aspects of the Kondo method, this book is probably a good fit for you if you're drawn to a more practical philosophy on why you should let go of the clutter. In short, be considerate of those who will have to deal with your things once you’re gone. At least make a start so it isn’t so overwhelming for your loved ones to deal with someday.

👉“Do not ever imagine that anyone will wish—or be able—to schedule time off to take care of what you didn’t bother to take care of yourself. No matter how much they love you, don’t leave this burden to them.”

By being aware of the temporary nature of life and physical possessions, you’re better able to act on your values with greater clarity. “It is amazing, and also a little strange, how many things we accumulate in a lifetime… Life will become more pleasant and comfortable if we get rid of some of the abundance.” I have started my own döstädning and already my life has become more pleasant and comfortable! 

Non-fiction: Memior/Humor

The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly: Life Wisdom from Someone Who Will (Probably) Die Before You by Margareta Magnusson

The author is in her eighties and has an open, or as some may say, “blunt” way of speaking about life and death. She describes herself as typically Swedish – “as a nationality, we tend to be quite blunt, clear-eyed, and unsentimental.” My DNA is 50% Swedish so perhaps that explains my bluntness!?

In The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly, Magnusson recounts stories from her life and ties them back to larger pieces of wisdom relevant to living well as you grow older. She covers the serious (death, xenophobia) and the light (eating chocolate, wearing stripes) and the helpful (get rid of throw rugs they are tripping hazards, when something new comes into your home, something old should go out).

Her anecdotes are concise, often humorous and relevant to the larger point in each chapter. In this sense, it’s more memoir than other researched, non-fiction books on aging. This book was fun to read, in part because the author’s sense of humor works well for me. It’s hard to overstate how much I laughed out loud.

👉“Once you have turned eighty, it's important to have the right sort of wrinkles. Even more important, though is to start laughing early enough to spend more time laughing than frowning. If your wrinkles point upward, you will look happy instead of merely old.”

One element I particularly appreciate is that Magusson’s advice doesn’t assume you stop aging at a particular point in time. Instead, there is a good amount of advice for people over 80, which is something I rarely see in other books on aging. She says, “It is never too late to do anything unless it really is too late and you are dead. The moment you start thinking it is too late, then you begin to die. I will keep going and do all I want to do.”

Octogenarian is still several years in the future for me, but it’s useful to know what 80 looks like for some people. It gives me a sense that there’s still time to course correct if necessary and reminds me that there is so much more life to look forward to.

Both of Magusson’s books are “nice” - easy, quick and enjoyable reads.

👉Life Lessons:  

1. Keep an open mind.

2. Don't worry about wrinkles.

3. Volunteering makes you feel useful and good about yourself.

4. Clean up after yourself as you go along.

5. Take care of something.