This is my 200th post in this Family Legacy Planning series (now called “Blum’s Blog”). The idea for this blog was born during the height of the COVID pandemic. I was sheltering at home, spending 23 hours of every day holed up in our bedroom. Until COVID happened, I never worked at home. I kept a clear separation between work and home. That all changed overnight.
My assistant Cat (whom I often refer to as my “boss”) informed me that, as captain of The Blum Firm team, I had to set the example and work remotely. We set up a desk in our master bedroom with a computer and supplies, and voila! It became my new office. I’d roll out of bed and turn on the computer, breaking only briefly for meals, then roll back into bed late at night. I never stopped working. No bueno, but that was my new M.O.
It was the fall of 2020, approaching October 1st, the 40th anniversary of my founding The Blum Firm. Locked away from the world and all human interaction, what could we possibly do to celebrate it? Then it hit me. On October 1, 2020, I sent out a mass email announcing the launching of a new initiative in 2021 in honor of The Blum Firm’s 40th year milestone. But I didn’t say what the “initiative” was. It was meant as a teaser, not only for the public, but also for me. I still hadn’t fully baked the idea. I needed more time to figure it out.
So, on the first Tuesday of 2021, I announced the birth of this Family Legacy Planning series. My plan was to post weekly for a few months, till I ran out of juice on wisdom to impart. Beyond my wildest expectations, here’s post number 200—never missing a consecutive Tuesday morning, 10:00 Central, blast to your inbox. So far, the juice is still flowing.
This blog has evolved. It started out as a more formal communication, aimed at offering practical estate planning tips to create a lasting legacy. Each post was accompanied by my headshot. Then my dear friend Karen Reisman (a speaking coach with her own inspiring blog, “Speak for Yourself”) told me to stop attaching my “yearbook photo” and offer up a warmer, clever photo instead. I resisted. My audience expected me to be buttoned up, coat and tie. Karen persisted; I gave it a try—lo and behold, Karen was right. Even a serious lawyer could warm up and become more relatable.
Then the next revolutionary change happened. After months of heavy, impersonal content, I took a risk and got personal. Moved by Russia’s vicious attack on Ukraine, I divulged “I Am Ukrainian.” My four grandparents were persecuted in Eastern Europe and came to America barely in time to escape Hitler. The photo was of Zaidy, my one-eyed great grandfather whose eye was poked out in an Ukranian pogrom. I wrote of the importance of preserving family heritage and stories of resilience. The feedback floored me. In response, I became more and more open. I was now feeling a warm connection with my readers. I dispensed with formalities and just wrote from the heart.
I told more of what makes me tick, my family and friends, my modest “hard knocks” upbringing, even “How a Jukebox Paid for My Bar Mitzvah.” Doing so, I still try to weave in an estate planning lesson in each post. After unintentionally stumbling into these self-revelations, this blog has become somewhat autobiographical. I never saw that coming.
As I reveal more about myself and my family, I had an interesting recent comment from attorney friend Andrew Rosell: “Why is it you write so much more about your daughter Lizzy than your son Adam?” I laughed and responded, “I have a daughter that loves the spotlight and a son who prefers privacy.” For those of you who’ve raised kids from the same gene pool but who turned out totally different, I’m sure you can relate.
Click on the link below to peruse all 200 posts and see which ones catch your eye. My personal favorite is my five-part series from a year ago about our week in Israel, culminating with the vicious terrorist attack by Hamas. That day changed my life forever.
I’ll close with a hearty thank you for all the affirming feedback I receive each week. You are all my friends now. And maybe someday, I’ll give into the clamoring from all those encouraging me to write a book. If I ever do, it will read differently than the “How to Do Estate Planning” manual I’d have written a few years ago.
Feeling gratitude for the support of devoted readers, Marvin Blum celebrates the 200th post in his weekly Family Legacy Planning series.