How Do You Measure “Quality Of Life?”

By Joe Jackson

I remember building models as a kid.

An interesting hobby that, but I’m talking about plastic cars that I glued together. And when I finished building them, they only sat on display in my bedroom. I knew nothing about powered models at the time.

Just before my 10^th birthday, my father introduced me to the world of powered models. He built gas-powered model airplanes in our attic. Radio, or remote, control didn’t exist as a popular hobby then.  

He built his airplanes from blueprints, gluing balsa wood together to create the aircraft from nothing. When he finished construction he controlled the vehicle with wires. He just stood there and flew his planes in circles.

I view it as boring now, but found it exciting then.  

I remember one plane he built in particular because the thing was bigger than me. Or at least he started building; I don’t remember him ever finishing it.

That plane had a wingspan over 5-foot. I remember staring at it on different occasions and wondering how he’d ever hang on to it. Seemed so big it’d break the wires, rip his arm off — or carry him away.  

Some of my most precious memories link back to watching Dad fly his airplanes. He’d fly until the fuel disappeared, glide in to a landing, refuel, and get back in the air.

I sat on the ground for hours, just happy to be there with him.  

Funny how caught up in the distractions of routine living we become as adults. We measure the quality of our lives in our level of income, or how big a house we live in, or what kind of car we drive.

We forget sometimes what held importance for us when we lived a much less stressful life.  

Children want things, sure. They see the latest fad, or succumb to the barrage of commercials on TV, and they “just gotta have” that. But the only thing they view as a true measurement of the quality of their life’s experience?

Time!  

Time spent doing those things they love to do. Time spent playing video games, time spent riding the bicycle, time spent playing baseball, football, basketball, or time spent goofing off with their friends.

But for them, true quality of life comes from time spent with you, their parent or grandparent.  

Your children know no greater joy than when they spend time doing things with you – the important adults in their lives.

Too often we realize too late how valuable that time is to our children and grandchildren. Time spent doing stuff together means so much to our kids. And think what it does for building their characters.  

Find a hobby, or activity, that both you and your child (or grandchild) enjoy, and get together with them on a regular basis. Have some fun…and give them a fun experience.

Do stuff with your young ones.  

How do you measure “quality of life”?