Everything seems like a garbage fire these days, and as someone who struggles on a daily basis to keep the grief ball at bay, these past few weeks have been particularly painful. I’ve been feeling a bit paralyzed, and I can’t imagine that I’m the only one. I want to do something; I want to do something good; I want to do anything to feel less helpless; I want to check in on the people that I care about, and I’ve been trying to do that a lot lately, but I’m repeatedly stung by the fact that the people that I care about the most are no longer here.

My mom would have wanted to do something good. She dedicated her life to helping others. She would not in a million years have volunteered to donate blood because she was pretty squeamish around needles. But, given the circumstances, I think that she’ll understand why I think this is the best way to honor her memory on what would have been her 73rd birthday.

The American Red Cross is facing a severe blood shortage these days. I’ve never donated blood, but this seems like a pretty low stakes way for me to do something good. If you are healthy and able, it would mean a lot to me for you to consider doing this good thing, too.