Cleaning up and clearing out: That's one way of looking at it

Back when anti-Marie Kondo sentiment was at its height, some started promoting Swedish death cleaning as an alternative.

With this method, there is no cute joy and gratitude and Asian-ness! It gets thrown over for Scandinavian (much whiter) morbid efficiency.  

The philosophy is that you want to spare others from having to clean up your mess. 

Having known multiple adult children who had to go through years' worth of possessions and paperwork, I appreciate that aspect. It has some flaws.

First of all, if you are tidying for yourself, you get rid of a lot of that anyway, but you are doing it for your joy. Wouldn't it be good for you to live in an organized home that is not full of detritus that no one will care about after you're gone?

By that same token, if there are things that you enjoy having around but you know that no one else will care about, shouldn't you be able to enjoy them to the end?

You can still plan ahead. Maybe your figurines can just go in the trash, or to a museum, or to a collector. A joyful tidying process still lets you know what you have and think about what to do with it.

Thinking about others is good, but only prioritizing others can leave you empty and sad, or maybe even bitter.

That can be balanced.

There is one other thing about it.

Based on the articles, Swedish death cleaning is more of a tradition than a philosophy attributed to one person, so you can see different versions.

In some versions, planning for your death means burning any evidence of secrets or problems.

I also know people who have found out devastating things after it was too late to get questions answered. I suggest that a better option is to deal with secrets and difficult communication now rather than destroying the evidence.

The current philosophy is that adopted children should be repeatedly told that they are adopted from the beginning. That way, it is part of their early formation and there is never a traumatic memory of finding out.

That method may have flaws. Regardless, previously there were families who never wanted their children to know, but whose children found out anyway in some manner that doesn't have any cushioning. Maybe it comes out through half siblings popping up through family history sites.

If there is a chance of that happening, clear it up now.

If there was something painful but not understood casting a shadow, clear it up now.

If you wrote journal passages or letters about hating someone, and you realize that you don't hate them anymore, well, maybe burn them, or maybe talk to the person, but do something for healing now.

Thinking about death can be a part of building a good life, but it can't be the only part.