Homebodies - I am finally current!
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- Published on Monday, July 16, 2018
By Rita Friesen
Neepawa Banner & Press
There are two current theories on healthy living out there to which I am already adhering. I don’t often catch the crest of a fad, and I sincerely hope these two practices aren’t fads.
The Japanese have researched the benefits of ‘forest bathing’. Essentially it is simply being outdoors, in nature. Not watching a fit bit, not competing with anyone, not doing anything but ‘being’. Studies have shown that being in the presence of nature, trees are exceptionally beneficial, lowers the blood pressure, clears the way for creative thinking and improves mental health. Excellent for individuals struggling with ADD as well. Part of the miracle is the disconnect with technology, slipping from a 2D world into the real 3D one. For those living in large cities even taking a walk or having lunch in a green space is proving beneficial. The studies show impressive results and the country is investing in the concept and practice of forests bathing. I love being outdoors anytime, with trees or grass, wind or sun. Feeling the seasons, sensing the presence of energy in all living things. Having my dogs along for company doesn’t hurt my mood either!
On the other end of life’s spectrum, the Swedish tradition of ‘death cleaning’ is making its way to North America. Never before have households contained so many things. We may have made less than gentle mockery of our grandparents, and perhaps our parents, when they saved every empty ice cream pail and margarine tub, when they washed, dried and folded every plastic bag that entered the home. Not to mention empty glass jars of every shape and description. Those habits were a bit understandable- that generation had witnessed the Great Depression when everything had value and could be re-used. We may have gone too far with the throw- away thinking, but our shelves are lined with books, closets bulging with linens and clothes, cubbies and corners filled with things that our children will probably not want. Those wonderful china dishes that families scrimped and saved for, ornate vases and decorative do-dads. We’ve got all these, and more, in abundance. Death cleaning is trying to make the dispersal of our estate easier on our families that it was for us tidying up after our parents passing. I am trying, honestly, to pare down on my stuff. There are tough calls, the boxes of pictures that were so important to Ed really don’t mean anything to me. Even with the name of the people pencilled on the back of the photo. I have been able to stick, fairly closely, to the policy of one book out for every new book I need. Or one piece of clothing out for every new one I want. See the difference- I know that some things I want and others I need! There is a wonderful feeling when a shelf is clear and empty, a drawer less than groaning.
Both of these ideas are as old as the ages. For generations folks have benefitted form camping and hiking, and now we know why. Death cleaning simply becomes more practical as death draws nearer!
