This wisdom from Jung influences my choices as a parent and educator.
“Nothing has a stronger influence…on their children than the unlived life of the parents.”
Carl Jung
More than a decade ago, I posted Jung’s words along with my own: Mandy and I are living our lives so that our children can live their own.
As my children have grown into their own unique selves over the subsequent eleven years, I have been rewarded with watching them embrace their own journeys, passions, and interests. And I do hope and believe that they are relatively unhampered by the unrealized dreams of their parents, because we are living our dreams.
It’s the same philosophy I have as an educator. I am not working with you to turn you into a version of me, I’m there to help you become the best version of you. I celebrate the steps my students take into themselves, and I do my best to let the ensembles, solo literature, and educational trajectory reflect the students’ vision.