I had the opportunity to sit down with daughter #2 over the weekend and actually watch a movie with her, a rare and priceless experience. Growing up we usually held a game night and a movie night over the weekend, but alas they grow, and carve out their own lives, so sharing air with them in the same space much less quality time is indeed priceless.
We agreed to watch the movie Whiplash. #2 is a budding musician. She played the clarinet and is currently playing the acoustic and electric guitar with a goal of learning the piano. I love to listen to her practice. Whiplash was an excellent choice for so many reasons! Not only did it focus on the love of music, jazz, in particular it was a valuable lesson in the process of making choices about your life. I viewed this movie as a gift to watch with my daughter. The young star of the film was a driven, determined, focused young man. Great goals to have for an older teenager on the precipice of adulthood, correct? Now comes the juicy part. The choices the young boy made either destroyed his life or allowed him to achieve the greatness he so desperately craved, but at what cost? It's really your own personal perspective that determines the outcome of the movie, and opened the door for a great conversation with #2. I don't want to give away too many spoilers so I won't tell you the whole story, I'm just posting my thoughts about the power choice has in your life, good and bad, accomplishments and consequences. Watch the movie Whiplash with your older teenagers if you have them, even if they aren't musicians. The lessons portrayed about the choices we make and the impact on ourselves and our families is potent.
