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Jul 13, 2023Liked by Laura Fenton

Thank you for sharing this. I'm visiting my elderly parents next week and may suggest a Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning marathon!

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So very for your loss, Laura. He sounds like he was quite a man. I can't recommend "The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning" enough. It was such a surprise when I stumbled on it. The Swedes are delightfully matter-of-fact and swear in the same manner. And let me know if you don't fall deeply in love with Emma. It might be something to cheer you up when ready. Sending you and your family heartfelt peace. xo

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It's on my to-watch list when things calm down. Thanks for the warm wishes.

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Sorry to hear about your father-in-law's passing. Sounds like he was lucky to have you guys move him to be nearer to you! That's lovely. And it does seem that, no matter how prepared you think you are for a death, it never quite feels that way.

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Thank you, Katherine.

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I'm sorry for your family's loss. Your reflections here are earnest, useful, and affecting - thank you for taking the time to share them.

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Thank you for your kind words, Mari.

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When my mother passed away I was astonished to discover that she and my father had planned the songs and music for their funerals. My dad, their church minister and I sat in the garden with a cup of tea and just finalised the running order, it made a potentially difficult process so much easier

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I am so glad that you did this work with your grandmother, Marta. But I do think we need to get more comfortable talking about preparing for the after. It's because we all want to avoid talking about death that children often have such a stressful experience handling their parents' passing. Plus, if we can prepare for the logistics, then we might have more space to properly grieve.

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