Blood Donor

For a lot of my life, I haven't been able to donate blood (pregnancy, nursing, already donating at the lab, etc.), but now I'm a fairly regular blood donor.  It's something that has always seemed important to do, if I could.

I've donated about 20 times (which sounds like a lot, until you spread it over 46 years), and they always ask you a battery of questions about your health and life style, but just this once, I was asked a new question: why do you want to give blood?


 I had never thought it through before:
I give blood because some one once gave blood for me, and it saved my life. 

I can give a pint fairly painlessly, but when he gave blood it hurt. 

A lot.

And it was all 8 pints. 

But he did it gladly for me, and for my brothers and sisters.  In the face of that example, how can I not give a little of my blood to help those brothers and sisters?

Not everyone can give blood, some for medical reasons, some because it gives them the heebie jeebies and they pass out.  Please don't give blood if that's you!  But for me, I have no reason not to, and one very good reason to be a blood donor.