[Image credit: Stuart Miles]

When it comes to fine wine and rich chocolate, quality rules (for the most part).  But what about time spent with loved ones?  Is it key to make the most of what little time we have, or is it better to cram in as much time as possible regardless of what we’re doing?  I’m reminded of a particular instance with my dad while vacationing in January.  We got lost while en route (both directions) on our outing, which added close to two hours to the drive time.  This isn’t how I wanted to spend our time together! I said, smacking my hands on the steering wheel.  At one point he even fell asleep to Public Radio as I tried to figure out where we were (I really need to learn how to use my mobile GPS).  Once we safely returned to his apartment, I realized it really hadn’t mattered that we’d been driving in circles.  The important thing was that we were together.  So even though the quality wasn’t great, I’m grateful we tacked on a bit to the quantity because I never know when I’ll see him again.  There are also those rare occasions when it still doesn’t matter how much time you have with someone, it’s never enough.  So for me, I’ll take all the time I can get, no matter what that entails.

Which is more important to you, quality or quantity … or both?