OPINION: Paying it forward

As you encounter the various stages of your life, there’s bound to be hidden angels at every corner. No, I don’t mean the holy, winged creatures of the Bible. I’m talking about the every day angels in your life - the kind nurse at the emergency room, the driver that lets you merge in a traffic jam, the smile from a stranger on a bad day. Even when you don’t notice them, these earthly angels are helping to keep you afloat.

While none of these people are ever expecting praise for what they’ve done, it’s still nice to be able to spread the joy they bring. That’s what Pay It Forward Week at Southwestern Community College is all about.

During PIF Week, SWCC students, faculty and staff get involved by encouraging positive behaviors and service to the community. The hope is that these efforts will ripple and spread throughout the community. Past PIF activities have included encouraging signs at busy intersections, picking up trash on roadways and the ever-popular Meals from the Heartland.

This year, you can spots the SWCC community on and off campus sharing the love. My favorite new event is the Out of Darkness Walk Thursday evening, a fundraising event for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Keep an eye out for the CNA group and our matching t-shirts!

However, you don’t have to be a student or faculty member at SWCC to pay it forward. There are countless ways to become an angel is someone else’s life, and here are just a few options. If none of these ideas sound good to you, here’s a list of ideas SWCC put together.

1) Write a letter

For many of the older people in my life, getting a handwritten letter can make their week. Though I certainly don’t do it as much as I should, whenever I write a letter to my grandma, she calls me thrilled. Don’t know what to write? Treat it almost like a journal entry - explain what you’ve been up to lately, what your plans are for the weekend, etc. You could even make a little stick-figure drawing of you and the person you’re writing the letter to. Is it silly? Sure, but I promise they’ll love it.

2) Give blood

Sometimes giving blood can seem daunting, but for most people, it’s a pretty easy task. When you arrive at your scheduled time, a blood drive worker will do a couple health checks to make sure you’re good to give, including a needle poke and a rundown of medical history. Then you’ll lay down and about a pint of blood will be drawn.

If you start feeling dizzy or ill, like I usually do, they’ll give you a couple ice packs and sometimes a fan to cool you down. While for some reason this happens to me every time I give blood, it’s not the norm, and I’m still happy to give. Plus, when you’re done, you get a snack to raise your blood sugar levels. While you may not see the immediate impact of your blood donation, you are saving someone’s life. I figure, even if you’re like me and don’t always have the most fun donating blood, a life is worth more than a little discomfort.

There are two blood drives coming up in Creston. On Wednesday, April 29, the Red Cross will have a blood drive at Creston High School. You can make an appointment at RedCrossBlood.org or contact Michele Thatcher at 641-782-2116. If that date doesn’t work for you, Greater Regional Health will have a LifeServe blood drive Monday, May 18. Schedule your appointment by calling 800-287-4903 or visiting lifeservebloodcenter.org.

3) Donate your time

While donating money to fundraisers and charities often feels like the most efficient way to help out, everyone is at different stages of comfortability with their money. However, we all have the same amount of time in a day, and how we use it matters. All the money in the world is useless if no one is willing to do the work. Reach out to your favored local non-profit and see what help they could use.

4) Give grace

Everyone is going through something. Sometimes life gets the best of them and they lash out or act rudely. While it’s important to stand up for yourself, it’s also important to give grace. Whether it’s a coworker acting snippy, a barista getting your drink wrong or even just a stranger bumping into you when you’re walking, give them grace. In the end, everyone is trying their best with this life and people will often feel bad about their actions anyway.