National Donor Sabbath

Two weekends before Thanksgiving is National Donor Sabbath.  This year it is November 13-15, 2015. This three-day observance seeks to include the days of worship for major religions practiced in the United States and to show that major religions support and approve of organ donation.

This is the time of year for family gatherings!  Years fly by!  Family gatherings can be stressful or peaceful depending on each person’s attitude.  It always seems to me that once I start counting my blessings, my attitude changes.  Change your attitude and your life changes!

Being together is a great opportunity for everyone to talk about what they’re thankful for in their lives.  Give everyone a pen and a piece of paper and ask them to write down what fills them with gratitude.  Put the pieces of paper in a basket and have someone pick another’s gratitude. Then ask the person who selected the gratitude to interview the person who wrote it, asking questions and bringing out their gratitude. It’s fun! Some of the gratitudes will be funny and some will be serious.

Because my family has so many transplant recipients, one of the “gratitudes” is always for the donor who has given them life.  The fact that a complete stranger died so they could live is impossible to put into words.  But, we always try.

Most families that gather together will remember a missing family member who has died.  Bittersweet!  There may be tears, laughter.

Sorrow and joy – that’s what organ donation and life have in common.  It’s a good time to discuss everyone’s thoughts and wishes regarding what they would like done in the event of a sudden or unexpected death.  It’s a good time to discuss both life and death, as hard as that may be.

Being together makes it a good day!  Because life is fragile, a gift! It is to be cherished!