As the Green Corner puts March to bed and is excited for April to begin, I hope you’ll indulge me while I get serious for this blog post.
Yesterday, a friend and co-worker lost her sister. It is so difficult to lose those we love and losing a sibling at any time is heartbreaking. I think of my friend, her family and the fact her mother will bury one of her daughters. No parent should have to experience that. But knowing a day like that may come and that day actually arriving is a punch to the depth of our very souls. What hurts the most is not knowing or if we do know to watch our loved one slowly succumb to an illness or sickness we are powerless to fight. We are not as invincible as we think. I know folks who read The Green Dandelion are fairly young, so my plea goes especially out to you. Please, please, please consider and become an organ donor. According to the US Health and Human Services department almost 20 people die each day waiting for a transplant. There are over 110,000 people on waiting lists. It’s difficult to confront our mortality at any age, but for people just starting their lives and careers it is natural to put this on that never ending list of things to do and we keep moving it to the bottom. It’s not pleasant. Please consider the gift you could give to many people. One donor can save up to eight lives.
Think and act. Many states allow you to donate organs on your driver’s license. Sometimes that may not be enough. Make your wishes known to your loved ones. If you have a health care proxy, make it known on that form. There are other ways to register, so when that time inevitably arrives it will be one less issue for your loved ones to handle. We all know that is not the best time emotionally to have your loved ones make that decision. So you make the decision. I recommend stopping by www.organdonor.gov for more information. For those of you in the University of Rochester area as well as western New York, this wonderful organization representing the Finger Lakes region has great info, too: http://www.donorrecovery.org/learn/
As there are four seasons on this planet, there are four seasons to our lives. We all want to make it to the end of winter. And if we do or don’t, we can right now, today, make sure others will have their chance to live all four seasons.
Thank you.
