My 65-year-old mom is healthy, but she started purging her stuff. Being part of the process is helping me learn about my family.

The author is helping her mom purge her stuff.

Courtesy of the author

• Swedish death cleaning is the practice of decluttering one's belongings before death.
• Though still in good health, my mom is gradually rehoming family heirlooms and donating unwanted items.
• Being part of her process allows me to become a caretaker of our family history while making new memories together.

Losing a parent is difficult enough. But on top of planning a funeral and taking care of final expenses...