People have been asking what to do in lieu of giving blood, since restrictions stop everyone from participating. Tattoos, blood conditions, medications, and I just found out today, I will also not be able to donate on June 26. I will not be able to donate blood until May 20 2019. One year from the day Anna died. I cannot donate because I had a transfusion myself. I had 8 transfusions of whole blood, + plasma + platelets + something else because my body wouldn't stop bleeding out. My body needs time to regain its blood count and become healthy enough to donate again. I was a gold card holder for donations in 2017. Now I will not be able to donate till 2019. So I must also find something to do in place of blood donation.
I couldn’t think of something specific. But I often found on my hardest days of Kimmy’s grief, that spreading just the smallest kindness made the days easier. I paid for the Starbucks behind me, sometimes I just left a big gift card to pay for as many as possible behind me. Sometimes I enjoyed seeing their faces look forward in recognition, sometimes I drove away with a smile on my own face, before I could see theirs.
I stopped to talk to a homeless person. I wrote a whole story about a particular experience -
"I tried to put some good into the world by delivering some hot chocolate and a croissant to a homeless man near my house. I was caught off guard when he turned me down because he didn't like the taste of Starbucks hot chocolate and croissants. I assumed he would be grateful and take it regardless. I judged a book by its cover and was wrong. The more I talked to him, or he talked to me. I realized he was lonely, not hungry. And I wished I had more time to give. As I've learned this year, time is more valuable than anything. I posted the story and got a TON of responses, of all kinds. Laughter, similar stories, disbelief. And that's when I realized that maybe that feeling I felt about putting some good into the world, and changing my crappy day wasn't in giving food. It was taking 10 min to listen to someone who needed it. And in return I got to talk to all kinds of friends who I hadn't heard from in awhile. The universe knew better than me and returned my love tenfold. ❤️ I hope I see him again so we can talk longer next time. As I'm grateful for the lesson he taught me, instead of thinking he should be grateful for my help."
I wrote a friend I hadn’t talked to in awhile.
I told a stranger a compliment.
Gifted photo shoots to people.
I really listened to someone who needed to be heard, something our society has a hard time with these days. We listen to reply, not to listen to a friend.
I gave someone a true hug.
I spread tiny kindnesses, feeling that in the smallest of ways, I had shown love to the universe, made someone’s day. There is so much ugliness in the world. People have lost sight of what truly matters. We let things ruin our days when really they don't affect our lives.
Someone paid for my Starbucks the Saturday of my baby shower, 24 hours before everything. It hadn’t happened in so long and I thought, how special it was that it was on such a big day for me, and the universe was acknowledging it. Another piece in the perfect day. Every little detail of that wonderful day will be remembered. Even the person who happened to be in front of Brandon that morning, who left at that exact moment because I let him sleep in, feeling he needed some love that morning too. Everything lined up to be that way. One last perfect day. Maybe you can be that person to someone else about to face their worst moments of life. If you cannot donate blood on June 26, but still want to #GiveLoveForAnna simply give some love back to the world. Make people believe in the good people again. #DoSmallThingsWithGreatLove
with love, lissa