The Swedish Art of Aging Exuberantly

In her inimitable and lighthearted style, the author of Swedish Death Cleaning, (86 when she wrote this book), brings us some of the suggestions that have helped her cope with the challenges of old age.

Some of my favourite lines: Expressing astonishment at the fact, she reflects that “…the extreme horrors and the simple joys of the world can exist simultaneously.”

This culinary detail and her riff on it made me laugh aloud. “In Sweden soup (often split-pea soup with bits of pork) and pancakes is on every menu and table on Thursdays. It’s a relief not to have to think about what to cook. But a bit strange too—an entire country eating exactly the same things. Also, yellow pea soup, although delicious, makes everyone farty. I wonder how much methane Sweden releases every Thursday.”

Margareta comments on the shock of seeing her wrinkles after cataract surgery: “I am used to looking old now, and I would never trade my great new vision for the old, distorted image of myself. There are other ways of keeping young.”

She also shares why she wouldn’t reveal plastic surgery to look younger. “My body has borne five children…This body has died and it has awakened. This body has sheltered me in storms and baked an unholy number of cakes. This body has laughed and planted gardens, worn gloves, and loved. I will never put a knife in it for being wrinkled.”

“The thing with young people is that they lack experience, have new thoughts, have troubles and worries that most people my age have dealt with and gotten over. Surrounding yourself with young people is a way to stay in tune with the young person you yourself were at some point.”