Thursday, December 23, 2010

Day 357 - Give the gift of life

Christmas is a time of giving and we all have our different ways of giving. Yes, the most obvious may be gifts for loved ones but gifts can come in all shapes and sizes and can be given to people we don't even know. At school we have a food drive to help create Christmas hampers for those less fortunate than us. Some people donate money to various organizations. Well, today, I was reminded of another important gift and that is blood, the gift of life. I was at the neighbourhood mall getting a couple of last minute items and saw that there was a blood drive set up. I haven't donated since this summer and know that blood banks are often low at this time of year. I was surprised to find out that today was my 25th donation. The pin is pictured above (not the best picture but I was focused on the message.). When I got home I told Peg and she and her brother decided to go up to the mall and give as well. Many lives can be saved with just one pint of blood so if you can, take a moment and head to the nearest blood bank. I'm sure they'll be happy to see you and you can spend Christmas knowing you have given one of the best gifts ever to a stranger (or strangers) and his/her family.

2 comments:

susanvg said...

One of my beefs about Christmas is that suddenly everyone thinks about giving. There are poor people all year, people in need. Congratulations on being a giver all year. Whether it's blood, money, volunteering - helping should happen all year.

Kristy Johnson said...

Didn't know they even keep TRACK of such a thing! I'm actually giving on Tuesday, although my grand total is (sadly) a one-digit number! Congratulations!