Click Here To Purchase The Boomer Burden: Dealing with Your Parents' Lifetime Accumulation of Stuff

Author: Julie Hall

ISBN: 978-0-7852-2825-7

I originally asked to review this book because my husband’s parents were getting older. I knew there would come a time when the information could be useful – let’s just say they have acquired lots of stuff in their 80-plus years.

I didn’t realize just how important this book would become – and so soon. Shortly after I received the book, my husband lost his mother. Wait! We hadn’t even finished the first chapter, “First Signs.” The most important chapter deals with recognizing that the parents are getting older and yes, my husband was hit with the “flying brick.” He never saw it coming. My husband hadn’t thought both his parents wouldn’t be around for another holiday. In fact, nothing was thought out.

The family swooped in and before Mom was in her final resting place, someone was staking claim on an item or many. They simply had overlooked the fact that Dad was, although considerably grief stricken, alive and kicking!  But, the thought occurred to me, what if there were just the family members left? How would things go then? Was this a dress rehearsal for things to come?

I turned to The Boomer Burden and read it from front to back – making notes along the way for future reference. My husband needed to plan for the inevitable – his father’s death. He made a special trip to see his father – they spoke about funeral arrangements, a will, belongings, the love they had for each other, and last wishes. My husband learned that Dad was financially sound, was dealing with Mom’s passing in a stable way, and was taking care of himself. In fact, things had changed at Dad’s house – the biggest was the new microwave (Mom refused over the years to have one in the house). All was going well with Dad.

There had been some things that were already distributed to family members. Jewelry was at the top of the list. However, it would seem that when a sister-in-law is in charge of the distributing, someone who isn’t the sister-in-law will get the broken-missing-a-stone-outdated-falling-apart pieces. Apparently this is not unusual, according to Julie Hall. Dad has the two “boys” as executors of the estate. According to The Boomer Burden, they should be the ones who decide how the remaining property is divided. However, the one son was there when his wife was making the jewelry ready for distribution – does anyone else see a problem waiting to happen?

Hall states that there are ways to make the distribution of estate less painful and stressful. And, she should know since she has witnessed her share of family disagreements over estate property as “The Estate Lady.”

The Boomer Burden covers most every situation with regards to dealing with your parents’ lifetime accumulation of stuff, and Hall provides valuable tips on handling most situations. After reading The Boomer Burden, I learned what not to do to my kids, so I am preparing a will, an inventory list that includes who gets what and what should be done with the remainder, and clearing out the “stuff” that could burden them when my time comes.

If you have parents – you must have The Boomer Burden.

Click Here To Purchase The Boomer Burden: Dealing with Your Parents' Lifetime Accumulation of Stuff