Death cleaning is challenging. It requires focus, physical stamina and a level of detachment and ‘unbotheredness’ to even start the process.

My brother is planning to get hitched soon and has the intention to bring the bride back home for a while before they find a place to rent. The current house is our family home and over the course of time it has become quite worn out and full of ‘things’. After all, we have lived in the house for over 10 years and when it comes to a family of 6, that is a lot of things.

The initial plan was for all of us four siblings to get together and tackle the problem. However, some of us did not get our leaves approved and my sister, had a last-minute course to attend. So it was just me battling against the dust and clutter. I managed to sift through my late mother’s wardrobe and it was astounding to discover how many clothes she had – both worn and new! It seems that she used to have a habit of buying those buy1 free1 items but never actually got to give those garments to people she was meaning to give it to. Thus, ended up with me being puzzled at the site of so many T-shirts with the same design in the wardrobe.

I shared my experience of decluttering on Instagram that weekend and an acquaintance recommended me this book. I managed to find it at Shopee for RM59.94. Quite a splurge for a softcover book but I’m excited about it’s content. It did not disappoint me at all.

I felt so connected to the author’s problems and felt that her thoughts on this subject matter were familiar yet fresh and very insightful. It’s like having a cheeky grandmother telling you what to do now before you die. In a way, it’s about decluttering and making life simple so you wouldn’t leave too much trash for your loved ones to pick up once you’re 6 feet under.

I am inspired to do my own death cleaning too. In fact, I feel it is an instinctive thing to do every so many years as my family’s life cycle changes over time. Now I am discarding old baby clothes, baby gadgets and toys as I am clear that I have no plans to conceive another baby. I have been making trips to the bin at Lotus to donate my old clothes that don’t fit anymore and those that are out of fashion. This included linens for single beds causing our house to have double beds only. The single set was from both of our ‘single’ years.

I am into house chores again this time of the year. I believe there will be a time when I’d enjoy photography suddenly or journaling and all that jazz. It’s a cyclical process.