The Swedish Art of Ageing Well: Life wisdom from someone who will (probably) die before you

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As with death-cleaning, it's never too early to begin and The Swedish Art of Aging Well shows us how to prepare for and understand the aging process, and the joys and sorrows it can bring. While Margareta still recommends ongoing downsizing and decluttering (your loved ones will thank you!) her ultimate message is that we should all be less afraid of the idea of death. Margareta Magnusson reveals her discoveries about aging—some difficult to accept, many rather wondrous. She reflects on her idyllic childhood on the west coast of Sweden, the fullness of her life with her husband and five children, and learning how to live alone. The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly explore the process of growing older and the joys and sorrows it can bring. It is a reminder of embracing life and the time we have.

I am certainly interested in the author's other book The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter as decluttering makes me feel good, regardless of my age. Embracing change, having good connections with young people, and maintaining connection with friends are among the simple life lessons she imparts. But for this, she has a consolation—a good one. “Eat chocolate. And take a gin and tonic with your friend!” My body has borne five children, plus one who didn’t live. This body has died and awakened. This body has sheltered me in storms and baked an unholy number of cakes. This body has laughed and planted gardens. I will never put a knife to my skin for being wrinkled. I remember her being tall and thin, and that she almost always wore a dark blue dress with little white dots. I myself almost always wore a sensible skirt and sweater, which probably is why I remember her much cuter, prettier dress. Not because I wanted one too; it would not have suited me—but it was perfect for Lola. I was sure I wanted to be her friend.Magnusson recounts times of living in fear, from personal tragedies to global public ones. How has she kept her head up when the world feels like it’s crumbling? we asked her. For one, we must face that there is always hardship in the world, she says. “When you have gotten this old, as old as I am, you have to face that story enough.” And we also need to lean into joy and beauty. “We have to try to be happy with the small things around,” she adds. All the flowers on my balcony. The little things like that. When you look at that, it makes everything much easier.” A fond and wise little book. . . . I jettison advice books after I’ve flipped through them. This one I will keep." — Dwight Garner, The New York Times The subtitle is “Life wisdom from someone who will (probably) die before you,” which gives a flavour of 89-year-old Magnusson’s self-deprecating sense of humour. The big 4-0 is coming up for me later this year, but I’ve been reading books about ageing and death since my twenties and find them valuable for gaining perspective and storing up wisdom.

She gives advice to younger people with older parents, to suggest they themselves might like items, how to do do this senstitively if their parents are not ready. Please be aware that the delivery time frame may vary according to the area of delivery - the approximate delivery time is usually between 1-2 business days. Delivery with Standard Australia Post usually happens within 2-10 business days from time of dispatch. Please be aware that the delivery time frame may vary according to the area of delivery and due to various reasons, the delivery may take longer than the original estimated timeframe.

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Ageing is often difficult, but it doesn’t have to be if you approach it in a way that isn’t too filled with drama or dread. And if you can find a way to make ageing itself into an art, where you are creative in how you approach each day, perhaps it can be a little easier,’ says 86-year-old author Margareta Magnusson. In her latest book The Swedish Art of Ageing Well Magnusson shares her advice on the best ways to embrace life, age joyfully and accept change. She reflects on her life as an artist and mother of five, and suggests we should not live in fear of death but rather focus on connecting with our loved ones and appreciating beauty. The publishers, Canongate, have kindly let me share some of Magnusson’s musings here: If I end up following the footsteps of my great-grandmother, I might possibly have more than a decade of life still left to fill, so I began to look around me to see what remained, what I had in fact actually kept after all my death cleaning. I found I’d kept my memories and I now lived in a smaller, simpler way. I could actually see my life, now that there was less mental and physical clutter; I could enjoy my life more fully, even though of course there are other difficulties that come with aging. This is something I appreciate,” Magnusson says of spending time with those who are much younger than her. “It’s just wonderful. [Young people] look at things in different ways. They are open-minded, really. You have to listen to them. Even if you don’t think just like they do, it’s good to know what they think and what they appreciate.” You must have fun,” the artist mandates. How does she do this? Ideally, on the dance floor. “I’m sorry to say that I don’t walk very well. Otherwise, I would have still been dancing a lot,” she tells us.