This morning, I had breakfast with a friend who has been slowly cleaning out her father's home. Her father recently had to put his partner in an assisted living home, and so he will no longer be living on his own. She has gathered much of his "stuff" in her home, but other family members have also come to look at the "stuff" to see what they may want. Some have even gone so far as to write their names on pieces of tape and attach them to "stuff." Her brother suggested that she just pack everything up and bring it to her house to deal with it there. She reminded him that when it was her time, all of that "stuff" would then be his to deal with!
Tonight, my cousin came to have dinner with my family. His mother passed away a year and a half ago and his step father a few months ago, so he has come up to go through their home and clear out their "stuff". He has set aside baking things and canning jars, knowing that that "stuff" is stuff I'll use. He gifted my mother his mother's recipe book from childhood, where she and her mother had written down recipes, jotted ideas, and practiced her signature. But there is much more "stuff" to go through.
In both instances, we talked about two different ideas around "stuff" that have been floating around social media over the last few years.
One is the 'KonMari Method', or the life changing magic of tidying-up. Here is a description from Amazon:
I've experienced this as a teacher as well, having "inherited" rooms (and the "stuff") of teachers who have retired or left the building. It is hard enough in those instances to know what to keep or what to get rid of! At one point, though, I counted twenty-three boxes of brass fasteners - a clear sign that I did indeed have too much "stuff"! I think at that point I realized that I had to put some thought into what I was keeping and what I was getting rid of.
Have you been through this? Have you read either of these books? I'm curious about your thoughts and experiences!
Tonight, my cousin came to have dinner with my family. His mother passed away a year and a half ago and his step father a few months ago, so he has come up to go through their home and clear out their "stuff". He has set aside baking things and canning jars, knowing that that "stuff" is stuff I'll use. He gifted my mother his mother's recipe book from childhood, where she and her mother had written down recipes, jotted ideas, and practiced her signature. But there is much more "stuff" to go through.
In both instances, we talked about two different ideas around "stuff" that have been floating around social media over the last few years.
One is the 'KonMari Method', or the life changing magic of tidying-up. Here is a description from Amazon:
Despite constant efforts to declutter your home, do papers still accumulate like snowdrifts and clothes pile up like a tangled mess of noodles?Another is 'döstädning', or Swedish death cleaning. Here is a description from Google Books:
Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo takes tidying to a whole new level, promising that if you properly simplify and organize your home once, you’ll never have to do it again. Most methods advocate a room-by-room or little-by-little approach, which doom you to pick away at your piles of stuff forever. The KonMari Method, with its revolutionary category-by-category system, leads to lasting results. In fact, none of Kondo’s clients have lapsed (and she still has a three-month waiting list).
With detailed guidance for determining which items in your house “spark joy” (and which don’t), this international bestseller featuring Tokyo’s newest lifestyle phenomenon will help you clear your clutter and enjoy the unique magic of a tidy home—and the calm, motivated mindset it can inspire.
Döstädning or the art of death cleaning, is a Swedish phenomenon by which the elderly and their families set their affairs in order. Whether it's sorting the family heirlooms from the junk, downsizing to a smaller place, or setting up a system to help you stop misplacing your keys, death cleaning gives us the chance to make the later years of our lives as comfortable and stress-free as possible. Whatever your age, Swedish death cleaning can be used to help you declutter your life, and take stock of what's important. Margareta Magnusson has death cleaned for herself and for many others. Radical and joyous, her guide is an invigorating, touching and surprising process that can help you or someone you love immeasurably, and offers the chance to celebrate and reflect on all the tiny joys that make up a long life along the way.Having not been in a position to deal with the idea of going through someone else's "stuff" to determine what to keep, what to give away, what has value, what is sentimental, and what to get rid of, I was fascinated by the thought processes of both my friend and my cousin. I actually own both books listed above and this has encouraged me to consider the "stuff" I have and whether or not it truly is needed.
I've experienced this as a teacher as well, having "inherited" rooms (and the "stuff") of teachers who have retired or left the building. It is hard enough in those instances to know what to keep or what to get rid of! At one point, though, I counted twenty-three boxes of brass fasteners - a clear sign that I did indeed have too much "stuff"! I think at that point I realized that I had to put some thought into what I was keeping and what I was getting rid of.
Have you been through this? Have you read either of these books? I'm curious about your thoughts and experiences!
I have cleaned out my mom's house and my grandparents' home. It was the hardest thing I have ever had to do, and many of their things did come to our home. I am actually using this Spring break to clean out my house. It is so tough. I adored my family, and getting rid of their stuff has been very difficult.
ReplyDeleteIt was SO hard to go through my in-law's stuff when they died, as well as my grandmother's. There's something that feels so wrong about throwing away what other people valued. I've heard of both those books--may need to get one.
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