The arts just make better humans.

by Michael Paul Hirsch, Executive Director

“Children and art… children and art…”

Several recent events in my personal life have inspired me to do something that I‘ve been putting off for over 10 years: updating my will.

Big changes like sending my children away to college, becoming empty-nesters (or “free-birds” as my wife likes to call it), purchasing an electric vehicle, and making a major career change, are just a few things that have happened since last I updated my will. Life goes by so fast that as a meditative and deliberate person, I hadn’t really taken a moment to make sure that my legacy wishes match my personal values and priorities.

No day but today! I did an online search to find a free, easy-to-use, and trustworthy service to help me with this process. FreeWill was the best choice for me, and I switched from a will to a revocable living trust. The step-by-step process was both straightforward and meaningful. Why did I wait so long? Without this formal document, some of the people and organizations that matter most to me would have been left out!

In addition to my family, I wanted to give back and support organizations that have positively impacted me and my community. As I sat at my desk working on the trust, a line from my favorite musical, Sunday in the Park with George, kept returning to me: “Children and art… children and art….” Family and human creativity and ingenuity, side by side, shape who we are and what we leave behind. I decided to list a few categories that align with my personal values and interests: 

• Democracy & Civil Rights
• Climate & Environment
• Poverty & Hunger
• Equity & Social Justice
• Education & Opportunity
• Arts & Culture

Next, I searched for reputable national and local organizations on Candid. I’m proud to share that South Bay Musical Theatre earned a spot on my list of organizations that I would like to see continue to flourish long into the future. The arts just make better humans. I invite you to consider how the people and organizations that shaped your life might be a part of your legacy. If you’d like to explore how to include SBMT in your own plans, you can find more information here.