The Gift of Time for the Gift of Life

Time heals all wounds.

No time like the present.

There's a time and place for everything.

Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

A life, if well lived, is long enough.

I could go on and on - but my reason for selecting these few short musings about time lie in how much power there is in choosing how to spend one's time.

About two weeks ago I scheduled myself for a blood donation. Thank goodness for calendar reminders! I try to do this regularly. It impacts the rest of my day in a minor way - sometimes I feel tired afterward and I usually have to skip practicing yoga in the hot studio. But it is a good way to spend time and qualifies as "yoga off the mat" - service to others.

Today, in fact, I donated what is called "double red" blood cells. The process takes half an hour because as you donate - a special machine returns your plasma and platelets to you - so that your donation actually ends up being two units of red blood cells. Donors must meet a height and weight requirement and have a good hemoglobin level. I met all these criteria - and I was willing to spend the additional time to make this possible.

Except for the pinch and burn of the needle itself, it felt good to do this.

In keeping within my "no exercise" restriction for the next 24 hours, I will take my mother in law to the mall for a bite to eat and to walk around where it is warm. This will take my time, but it will help someone else.

And it won't pinch or burn or require any needles.

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