Donate.

I gave blood today. It's a simple statement, and a simple action. I've done it several times without too much thought to it. I give anytime I can because it's a simple process that will help someone in the future. I also give blood because of my blood type. O+. It's not the all powerful O- , but it can still help any other positive blood type, so I feel like I should help if I can.

I met a woman today after giving blood. We were sat at the refreshments table, taking the time to sit, drink some apple juice, and chow down on a doughnut. I was making simple conversation with the others at the table and one of the volunteers, and we came to the subject of how many people actually go and donate blood. If you didn't know, it's not a large amount. For the amount of blood that hospitals need, there is a large lack of donations to cover that demand. This woman, who's name I failed to get, started to tell me that she can't even count the number of times she has given blood. She goes every 8 weeks if time allows. She explained to me that the reason she goes so often is that several years ago her son had surgery for a routine tonsillectomy. During the surgery, the doctors came out to her holding her sons clothes. Very confused, she asked why they had his clothes. They proceeded to tell her that what was a routine surgery, had gone wrong and that her son had started to lose a large amount of blood and had to be rushed to the O.R, and that the outlook did not look good. Without a real explanation, the doctors started handing her paperwork. You know, they scary papers of DNR's and waivers and such. She told me that she had never known the kind of fear that she went through that day. She had never really planned for the worst, because it was a surgery that was done all the time. What did she have to be worried about?  

Luckly, her son made it through the surgery, and spent a week in the hospital for recovery. She told me that ever since that day, she has given blood at every opportunity that she has had. Her son received a lot of blood to make it through the surgery, which means that someone had to take the time to donate it. She wants to be able to do that for someone else, and that is why she donates.

If you have time folks, please go and donate. It means more than you think. 

“In the depths of my soul, I longed to be a part of something large and good; something that required all of me; something dangerous and worth dying for.”

—	John & Stasi Eldredge, Captivating