Finding New Ways to Serve Others

When I think of serving others in the traditional sense, I am often reminded of clothing and food drives, charity funds, and volunteering hours of my personal or work time to provide a service to someone in need. It wasn’t until this summer when I learned about a hospital human resources director in Maryland who voluntarily donated one of her kidneys to another hospital employee, that I had even given the idea much thought. This act of kindness demonstrated to me that ordinary individuals still contain the capacity to perform extraordinarily selfless acts of service. Now by no means am I suggesting that anyone go out today and donate a kidney, but I do implore individuals to consider new ways to dramatically impact someone’s life in a positive way. As a result of a growing consciousness of serving others in new ways, I became a member of the National Bone Marrow Donor list. Recently, I was called to serve as I learned that I may be a potential match for someone needing a bone marrow transplant. Since then, I have completed the additional tests to see if I am a full match and I am now waiting for the opportunity to improve someone’s life through service. I will admit I did have some early reservations, but ultimately, I look forward to this unique opportunity to serve others. My hope is that others will also consider new ways to serve.