Quality of Life or a Life of Quality?

Tonight I was talking to some good friends and the conversation of "Quality of Life" came up. When you think about the quality of your life, what do you think about? The time you spend with your family? The quality and income level of your job? The clubs and organizations you belong to? When those words come to your mind, what do you think of? These are important conversations and thoughts to consider. How would you decide if you don't have a good quality of life?

I like to think that rather than worrying about the quality of my life, I would rather think of having a life of quality. This life of quality certainly depends on family and friends. Family can be so much more than those who are bound to you by blood, but those who are bound to you by heart. I have three branches to my family, the family whose blood courses through my veins, while another branch of my family are friends who deeply understand our family and the intricacies of it, and the third branch is those I share a common bond through MTM, those who also look for a life of quality.

I have spent the last eleven years around medical professionals. I have a MomMD, as my daughter would say. This medical degree I have has been learned from experiences, both good and bad. I have learned medical jargon and I can speak and understand to the best of them. I have conversations with other mothers who also have MomMD's, and we can compare notes and give recommendations. This branch of my family has helped diagnose children in the hospital, lay out treatment plans, and inform medical professionals across the US.

When you have a child with a terminal disease, you have to think about these things, quality of life versus a life of quality. Every family in my MTM community, with the exception of us, was the told that their child was going to die. What would you do? How would you approach the rest of your child's life after being told that he or she was most likely going to die? Give up? Move forward? Curl up in the corner? You never know what your response might be until the time comes and I hope that you never have this time come.

I guess I have to apologize a bit...I don't intend for each day to be about Javad and his life, but rather I want each day to be an inspiration from the day. So, as I continue from this day, my inspiration comes from life. As I think about our Life of Quality, I want to give Javad every possibility to live and thrive. He goes to school and has friends, something many parents take for granted. We have gone skiing, driven halfway across the country, traveled. We have friends across the country and Javad's life has touched more people than I even know. More than one boy is alive today because of Javad's life and our willingness to share.

Each branch of your family is important, cherish them, they bring a special quality to your life. Don't spend your time on the things that are frivolous, the things that don't matter, don't spend your energy on having a good quality of life...it is so much more important to have a Life of Quality...


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