Friends can put you to shame...

I stopped to re-think my values, re-organize my priorities, and re-evaluate my objectives.

Here’s what she wrote:

"Sixteen years ago, on December 4, 1991, I was given the amazing honor of donating my bone marrow to a stranger living across the country.

His name is Matthew and he had been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. With no hope for a future, even with a bone marrow transplant Matthew was only given a 15% chance of survival.

I had become part of the National Bone Marrow Registry in 1990, hoping that one day I would be given the opportunity to help save a life. At the time of the transplant, there were 900,000 people in the registry. I was the only possible match for Matthew so in his words, that made me ‘one in a million!’

The transplant worked and 16 years later Matthew is still here! His struggle didn’t end in 1991 but he did survive. And Matt and his family have enjoyed that many more years together.

Christmas often finds us caught up in the busy-ness of the season. We decorate, shop, cook, stay up late, spend more than we make, wrap, overeat – it can be quite exhausting!

And if you are in any way like me, sometimes you find yourself in a quiet moment at the end of the day wondering if it was all worth it. Or wondering what all the ‘stuff’ you did and bought has to do with the true meaning of Christmas.

This is when I remember Matthew. Donating my marrow was a simple gift given that made a lifetime of difference.

Why not consider giving an ‘out of the ordinary’ gift this year. Become a blood or platelet donor, bake a cake for a neighbor, do someone’s yard work, become a volunteer, donate money to a worthy cause and continue to support that cause for the coming year.

There are countless ways to give gifts that truly make a difference. So in the midst of all the Christmas preparations, look around you. I just bet you’ll find someone you can give an ‘out of the ordinary gift’ to this year.”—Cindi

Okay, Cindi. I get it. I’ll pour myself a cup of herbal tea, snuggle in my sofa, and rummage through my brain to come up with special gifts I can offer this Christmas. Thanks for the much-needed nudging.