“This is still my house.”
My mother said it very softly. She was in her late 70s, and I was standing in her kitchen with a box of garbage bags, holding up her old mixing bowls.
I had driven over that Saturday morning to “help.” I’d read about Swedish death cleaning, and I was sure I knew what she needed. But in that moment, I saw her face, and I put the bowls back.
That was one of my first mistakes. It wasn’t my last.
Why I’m Writing This Down
I believe in Swedish death cleaning. Clearing out our things while we can, so our families don’t have to do it later, is one of the kindest gifts I know.
But I’ve made almost every mistake you can make along the way. Some cost me time. A couple cost me tears.
So if you’re thinking about starting, pour yourself a cup of coffee. This is what I’d tell you if you were sitting at my kitchen table.
Mistake 1: Starting With the Photos and Keepsakes
Years ago, on a Saturday morning, I decided to start with the spa