When I was a kid, my Dad donated blood all the time, and he would come home with a Band-Aid and one of those "Be nice to me--I gave blood today" stickers that they used to give out (he also claims that my Mom STILL was never nice to him... lol.)
So, I always thought that when I grew up, I would do that, too. Except that I was deathly scared of needles, so that was a bit of a problem. At that time, getting a marriage license in my home state required a blood test, and that worried me, even as a kid. I even contemplated never getting married because of it!
I will never forget one time when I had to have blood drawn as a kid. I think I was about 5 years old, and I was so scared that I was contemplating hopping right off the table and running. But a very kind nurse must have noticed this, and so she told me to turn my head away, cover my eyes, and sing the "ABC's" out loud. She even sang with me to help me remember the letters.
And I have been doing that ever since--even as an adult (though I no longer turn my head--I can even watch them), and even though I no longer sing out loud (well, usually... in order to spare the poor staff.
) Sometimes I sing different songs to myself, but... if you promise not to tell anyone
... Most often, I am still singing my "ABC's", in order to honor that nurse. Her kindness for a scared little kid came in handy later in life, when I had a few medical concerns that always seemed to involve drawing blood.
One of the first things I did when I turned 18 was to sign up to be a blood donor, and I did so for many years. I'm just now getting back into it (they always had the drives when I was working, so I couldn't go for a long time), and the last time I almost fainted, but I believe that nurse gave me an incredible gift that day, and I always wanted to try to use it for good (kind of like a super power, lol.)
I know some people believe that giving blood is not Biblical ("The life of the flesh is in the blood", Lev. 17:11) and are against it, and I can respect their beliefs.
But one of the things that influenced me heavily as a kid was when a family in our church congregation was in a car accident, and their child's life was on the line. My Dad and pastor would drive 3 hours each way in order to donate platelets whenever they could, and that was played a crucial role in saving that child.
I admit that it's gotten tougher as I've gotten older, seeing as I have those dreaded veins that collapse and roll, which sometimes turns me into a pincushion. I dread it just as much as anyone else, but I try my best to put up a brave front.
I always have the thought in the back of my head when I sign up for a blood drive--that it may seem like a small, insignificant act--but it could be saving the life of someone else's loved one... maybe even a child.
And who knows, maybe someday, other donors might be saving the lives of MY loved ones... or even... me.
(If nothing else... I at least get free cookies after it's all done!
)