The Little Things
I gave blood the other day.
For most people, that's no big deal. I have overcome great obstacles to be able to give blood.
When I was 12, my ear started bleeding after I got them pierced. I saw it in the mirror and nearly passed out.
When I was 19, I gave blood for the first time in college. I got so dizzy I had to lay on the floor for 45 minutes instead of sipping orange juice.
When I was 34, I gave blood at my daughter's school. I passed out. The nurse called my parents to take my daughter and me home.
I've given blood a couple times since, always with fear and trepidation that I might have an embarrassing episode. I have to focus on my breathing, be sure not to look at the needle or the tube or the bag, and think about anything else except where I am and what I'm doing (I have a very active imagination).
So giving blood is like a rite of passage for me, overcoming a long-held fear of... what? Maybe pain, or death. But when I got the text that my blood type was desperately needed, I felt like I had to respond. Even though it's just one pint. It's a way I can help someone else.
Sometimes we think one smile or kind word doesn't make a difference. But it can make a person's day. And if everyone smiled or made eye contact with one more person, or paid one extra compliment a day, it could change the world.
For most people, that's no big deal. I have overcome great obstacles to be able to give blood.
When I was 12, my ear started bleeding after I got them pierced. I saw it in the mirror and nearly passed out.
When I was 19, I gave blood for the first time in college. I got so dizzy I had to lay on the floor for 45 minutes instead of sipping orange juice.
When I was 34, I gave blood at my daughter's school. I passed out. The nurse called my parents to take my daughter and me home.
I've given blood a couple times since, always with fear and trepidation that I might have an embarrassing episode. I have to focus on my breathing, be sure not to look at the needle or the tube or the bag, and think about anything else except where I am and what I'm doing (I have a very active imagination).
So giving blood is like a rite of passage for me, overcoming a long-held fear of... what? Maybe pain, or death. But when I got the text that my blood type was desperately needed, I felt like I had to respond. Even though it's just one pint. It's a way I can help someone else.
Sometimes we think one smile or kind word doesn't make a difference. But it can make a person's day. And if everyone smiled or made eye contact with one more person, or paid one extra compliment a day, it could change the world.
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