At the beginning of the year, I made the decision to
give 'til it hurts. After two months of working my plan I have learned a few things. Here are five of them.
- Giving doesn't hurt that bad. Setting a plan on how much to give and then trying to spend it all is not as painful as you might think. I'm actually finding it's harder for me to get rid of all my gift cards and dollar bills each month than I thought and it's more fun than pain. It is awesome to just go up to someone and hand them a $5 gift card, just because.
- The Blood Bank needs your platelets as much as your blood. Apparently my goal of giving blood was not lofty enough because you can donate platelets every two weeks and whole blood every eight weeks. I now have a goal of donating whole blood six times and platelets and additional six time this year.
- It's hard to not get something in return. In addition to the usual euphoria you feel in giving, I found that I ended up getting something out of the deal. One of the first gift cards I gave was reciprocated with a free meal to In-n-Out that the person couldn't use. Even giving blood has it's rewards by earning points to spend on things like free movie tickets.
- Joining the Bone Marrow Registry is easy. I was surprised to find that joining the registry was actually quicker and simpler than the preparation to donate blood. You fill out your information and a questionnaire. Then they send you a kit, you swab your mouth, and mail it back. That was it. I do know that if I get called on for the marrow transplant, there will be more involved.
- Giving 'til it hurts can be contagious. After discussions about giving, my wife was inspired to try and do something for others. She went out and bought long stem roses for Valentines day and my youngest daughter, Lexie, handed them out to all the ladies at the Senior Center. I couldn't be prouder when they featured her in the Senior Center Newsletter.
What act(s) of kindness have you committed this year? Let me know in the comment section.
