The Soccer Mom Vote

The Feminine Mistake: Are We Giving Up Too Much (A Book Review with a Giveaway too!)

***Wahoo! We have a winner! Congrats to Mothergoosemouse! She gets the book to check it out for herself! Thanks to all that commented!***

Back in March SoccerMom Nicole asked us who was interested in a book review for a book that takes up the argument that women can not afford to opt out of the workforce. Intrigued and ready for a challenge, I jumped at the chance. The book, The Feminine Mistake: Are We Giving Up Too Much, by Leslie Bennetts, arrived at the end of March and I sat down to read it in the beginning of April. A few chapters into the book, I put it down and walked away from it. At the time, I couldn't figure out why the book was so hard for me to read. Was it because some of the points in it made me mad? Was it because I felt that the book wasn't fair to stay at home moms? Did I just not like the way it was written? I just didn't know.

I took some time off from reading it, but left it in my living room, in a spot where I would see it everyday until I could figure out WHY I didn't want to pick it up again. Then one the light in my attic went on. I didn't like reading the book because it just hit to close to home for me.

Bennetts' main theme through out the book is that a MAN is not a financial plan for life. She smacks you in the face with reality frequently through out the book as she explores why our society glorifies the idea that being a stay at home mom is the only way you can be a good mom. She points out the unspoken truth that many marriages do not survive, due to divorce or death, and demonstrates time and time again how many women end up alone, with no money, no assets and their children to raise.

The thing is, this book is the harsh reality of the life I lead growing up. I was raised by a single mother who had no college education, no money, no job and 2 young children when she was widowed at the ripe age of 29. My mom's financial plan WAS my dad and she was in for the shock of her life when he died. Lucky for my brother and I, she got her act together, figured out a way to make it work and raised us well. However, as Bennetts discovered in her multiple interviews with women across the country, my mom is an exception to the norm. Women across the United States are being left with nothing following divorce and death because they choose to do what they thought was the right thing for their children, aka "being a good stay at home mom."

So, what does this author say women should do? Well, she talks a lot about how important it is for women to work and create their own nest egg. She is a firm believer in separate financial accounts for husbands and wives. She wants women to be educated on how to support themselves and have their own money. She repeatedly discusses equal partnership in parenting between mothers and fathers, as well as equally sharing household chores.

Bennetts book is good, but it has some missing parts:

1. While I found the book to be enlightening I was also frustrated at the same time. I was disappointed that she focused mainly on middle to upper class women in her book, not really touching on how her philosophies applied to women of the lower classes.

2. I continually said out loud while reading it "Why should women let other people spend all day with their children, if they DO NOT HAVE TO (or want to)?" Just to be sure they are "safe?"

3. While I am a woman who works part time and is a full time Mom and I am strongly independent, I am also a woman who loves to be a Mrs. I love being a wife and a mother. I love marriage. I love that together we are a unit. I love to see both my name and my husband's name on our checking account. While I see the value in being separate but equal in a marriage, there is a small part of me (well, okay a big part of me) that loves to be the caretaker, the nurturer and NOT to be the primary breadwinner. So, yeah, maybe I am taking a risk by not working full time. Maybe I am not going to be 100% prepared if something happens, but I am okay with that because it's what I am giving up to gain the joy on my husband's face when he get a special treasure from my son that we found outside together while Daddy was at work while still gaining respect from my son that I contribute to our family is more ways than one.

Honestly, I could go on and on regarding this book, but I know I need to keep it kinda short...so here's the deal I have for you wonderful readers: Leave me a comment (or two, or three). Tell me what you think about this idea that women are giving up too much to be stay at home mothers. One lucky commenter will be the recipient of a copy of this book so she (or he!) can formulate their own opinions of this mind opening book. (I have a number in my head already, in case you were wondering how I am going to pick the commenter!) Be sure to leave your email (either in the comment or attached to your name) so I can contact the lucky winner! Happy commenting....

Truly a Sanctuary?

In the interest of full disclosure, to say I'm not a fan of Bill O'Reilly would be to say that Rosie and Elisabeth had a small disagreement recently; I truly dislike the man.  He did not help his case with me when he brought the national spotlight on immigration to our fair city and did so in a series of personal attacks on our mayor and police chief.  Instead of starting a fair and balanced discussion, like the ones I like to think are our goal here at the SMV, he just wanted to start controversy and bring in viewers. 

The whole story begins with a tragedy.  A tragedy in which two young lives were lost.  Two high school girls, best friends, were sitting in their car at a stoplight, just a few miles from my house, incidentally.  They were wearing seat-belts, were sober and not driving erratically.  They were doing everything right.  Then one young man, named Alfredo Ramos, decided to take a drive while drunk.  Allegedly.  He was so drunk, allegedly, that he has no memory of the crash.  Now some people have asked, which is the bigger issue here? The fact that Ramos was driving drunk? Or the fact that he is in our country illegally to begin with and should have been deported long ago for other offenses?

You see, he came here about seven years ago from Mexico. He was working at a local Mexican restaurant.  And he had an arrest record.  He was convicted in a neighboring city of public drunkenness, a seat-belt violation, identity theft and DUI.  He had also been charged with driving without a license and having no insurance in that city.  Also? public drunkenness in our city.  And yet, somehow, no one knew until this tragedy that he was an illegal alien.  Why? No one asked. 

And it is only now that he faces deportation. Now that he has been charged with two counts of aggravated involuntary manslaughter. 

So the question comes - why didn't anyone ask Ramos his status?  O'Reilly called our town a "sanctuary city" for illegal immigrants, insulted our mayor personally and had his producers confront her at her home.  He called her "clueless," "deceitful," "limited in her intellectual capacity" and said she "should be baking pies, not running a major city." He called our police chief "an arrogant incompetent" for his longstanding policy of not allowing officers to question the immigration status of people they question for non-felony crimes (a policy that has since been changed, I might note). 

Here's where the blame game started.  Everyone from the major to the police chief to a spokesperson for the governor said that immigration procedures are handled at the federal level.  "That's Not My J-O-B" is what they all cried.  While that kind of talk always boils my blood, it IS important to note that several local police officers were in agreement that ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) was not proactive in helping to deal with all the illegal immigrants that were reported.  In most cases, ICE ignored the calls; now of course, ICE is taking all calls and taking action, now that they are in the spotlight. And our elected officials in Congress are now all of the sudden supporting bills and talking forcefully about what "needs to be done."

The question raised time and again was, why wasn't Ramos asked of his status and deported when he had his first conviction?  Isn't there a law to protect us?  Yes, there is, but no, it is not always being enforced.  The Illegal Immigration and Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 and it's subsection 287(g) has been on the books for 11 years now.  Under this act ICE is supposed to provide state and local officials with training and authorization to "identify, process, and when appropriate, detain immigration offenders they encounter during their regular, daily, law-enforcement activity." Unfortunately, this act has not been implemented nation wide.

Another act, not yet passed into law, was introduced by Rep. Sue Myrick (R-N.C.), called The Scott Gardner Act (Scott Gardner was a teacher who was killed by a drunk driver who was an illegal alien with FIVE prior DWI convictions.  A quick Google search shows many, many more people killed by illegal aliens driving drunk).  This act would make the detention and deportation of illegal aliens convicted of DWI mandatory.  It would also require the sharing of information on illegal immigrants among federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.   You can read more about the act here.  Rep. Myrick succinctly put her bill this way: "You're drunk, you're driving, you're illegal, you're deported, period."  This bill is supposed to be re-introduced as HR1355 and S. 850 (Sen. Richard Burr [R-NC]) in the 110th Congress.  Urge your representatives to support the bill.  Don't let all the brouhaha in Congress over Immigration Reform cause this important bill to go unnoticed.  Let there be some good from all this tragedy. 

Service and Sacrifice

This morning my six-year old marched with several of his classmates to the cemetery on the hill to place a flag at the grave of a soldier he did not know. He listened, as well as any six-year old could, to the speeches on the service and sacrifices of soldiers from our little town. Bands played, children sang, recognition was given.

I listened, as we marched, to the little boys' chatter about soldiers and war and realized how far removed from it all they were. Soldiers to them were like plastic army men in a bucket; full of guts, ready for action, but not quite real. The children have not yet made the connection between the hand on the heart, a cap removed, and a real life lost. And I wonder for how many adults in this country, the same holds true. The end of the draft and the shift in our culture means that many of us are disconnected from this war and those who serve.

A lifelong friend of mine is preparing for her son to go to Iraq soon. He will graduate from high school in a matter of weeks and enter training to become an Army medic. My friend lives with the very real fear that she will not see her son again, once he goes over. I look at my sons and I cannot imagine being in my friend's position.

This weekend, and for years to come, over 3500 families will mourned a loved one lost in Iraq. For those of us who have not served and have not lost a friend or family member, this might be difficult to fathom. The total alone is mind-numbing.

The next time your local paper runs a profile of someone who gave their life in this war, please read it. Bring that person "to life" in your mind and remember their service, their sacrifice. 

Our thanks should extend to the families too

On this Memorial Day weekend I thought it would be fitting not only to pay homage to the brave men and women who are fighting, and who have fought, for our country but also to their families who sacrifice in ways many of us may never fully appreciate or understand.

It's in that vein that I bring you three blogs about military families and the military way of life that you may not have heard of before. I recently found Army Blogger Wife via ParentDish. Since March of this year she's been writing about life with her husband and three children as she awaits her husband's third deployment to Iraq this fall.

From Army Blogger Wife I followed a link to Trying to Grok. Sarah, a young military wife, has been blogging since March 2004. She loves to knit, secretly wishes she were in the Army and her opinions definitely fall on the side of conservative. Curious about what the heck grokking is? Visit Trying to Grok to find out.

Sarah's blog led me to SpouseBuzz, a collaborative site providing a place for military spouses to meet up and support each other. Thirteen authors and numerous other contributors write about topics as diverse as deployment, civilians, reintegration and even, "The Bachelor." A recent poster talked about how neat she thinks it is that the site also has civilian readers. Check out SpouseBuzz and become one of them!

I hope that no matter what each of us thinks about the war our country is waging, we'll take a little time during our holiday weekend to appreciate our fellow Americans (and their families) who are willing to work and fight for the freedoms we all enjoy. Happy (early) Memorial Day!

Legislating Postpartum Depression

My wonderfully funny (and oftentimes altogether inappropriate) father has more than once told this truly awful joke about the naivety of young love. I don’t really remember how it goes, but it’s something like…There’s this very young, very poverty-stricken couple, giddy with love and each other, and they find themselves pregnant and decide to “do the right thing” and get married, against all odds. The punch line has something do with them living on love for nine months and then eating the baby.

Horrible, I know.

But it’s kind of funny if you tend toward the darker side of humor (and I do). And honestly, I for one do not know how to approach the dim realities of pregnancy, labor and childbirth, and the grueling first year after a baby is born without keeping a slightly morbid wit about me. All kidding aside, it would be easier to eat the baby. But what we do instead is try to find our way to motherhood. We try to recreate ourselves and our babies, our homes, and our spouses to fit neatly into the impossible daydreams we hosted during the nine months before the little bundle arrived. And for many women with fertility issues or who just need more time to get pregnant, the romantic, fantasy build-up lasts much longer than nine months. It’s a fantasy that cannot be realized. So instead of the bliss that new mothers and their partners expect, they get the baby blues or worse, postpartum depression.

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, "Postpartum depression can happen anytime within the first year after childbirth. A woman may have a number of symptoms such as sadness, lack of energy, trouble concentrating, anxiety, and feelings of guilt and worthlessness… Postpartum depression needs to be treated by a doctor."

More and more people are finally coming to understand that postpartum depression is a real affliction. Two bills related to postpartum depression that could do a lot of good for mothers in this country have been introduced into Congress:

• H.R. 20: This bill’s purpose is to provide for research on, and services for individuals with postpartum depression and psychosis.
• S. 1375 (The Mothers Act): This bill’s purpose is to ensure that new mothers and their families are educated about postpartum depression, screened for symptoms, and provided with essential services, and to increase research at the National Institutes of Health on postpartum depression.

On Mothers Day, Brooke Shields, who suffered a severe depression after her daughter was born, used her high-profile celebrity to push the Mothers Act. Shields has written a book about the issue (Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression) and has recently made appearances on This Week with George Stephanopoulos and the Oprah Winfrey Show to promote awareness about postpartum depression. Perhaps with women like Brooke Shields and Oprah Winfrey taking it on, these bills will become law. If you agree with this legislation, please contact your representative and tell them you would like them to support these bills.

And if you have any stories or thoughts to share with us about postpartum depression in general, your personal experiences, or your opinion about these bills or any other relevant legislation, we’d really like to hear from you.

Who's Changing and Who's Dying? Part Two

On May 11, I posted here about Exxon Mobil's stance on the environment.  Today's post will cover the opposite end of the spectrum - General Motors and their efforts, both planned and actual, to diversify in light of environmental considerations.

Last January and February, I had the pleasure of attending two auto shows - one in Detroit, one in Chicago - as a guest of General Motors.  After I returned home in February, I wrote this piece for The Imperfect Parent - Who Reincarnated the Electric Car? - outlining everything I had learned about GM's environmental and technological initiatives in as much detail as my editors would allow.

Suffice it to say, GM knocked my socks off.

Much fanfare accompanied the unveiling of the Chevrolet Volt at the Detroit show - a car that incorporates four different fuel options (gasoline, E85, biodiesel, and electricity) into one vehicle.  The Volt can drive up to 40 miles on battery power alone, which means that if you drove it to and from work every day (assuming your round-trip commute is less than 40 miles, which is true for 78% of commuters according to GM's research) and plugged it in each night, you would never have to put a single drop of gas in it.

Even though the Volt is a concept vehicle - meaning it is not slated for mass production but is intended to showcase features and capabilities - it is by no means a pipe dream.  All of its features are readily available for mass production, except for the battery.  GM continues to award R&D contracts to battery suppliers such as Johnson Controls and Cobasys, which demonstrates their financial commitment to making the features of the Volt available on mass produced vehicles.

While Exxon Mobil downplays the potential role of ethanol as a fuel alternative, GM is already producing vehicles that use E85 ethanol (a mixture of 85% ethanol and 15% gasoline).  More accurately, these models are called FlexFuel Vehicles because they can use E85, or gasoline, or a combination of both.  What's more, the 2007 FlexFuel models include Chevrolet trucks and GMC SUVs - notorious gas guzzlers.

The US Department of Energy has an Alternative Fuel Station Locator that allows you to find service stations that dispense E85.  Considering that many of us already drive out of our way to save five or ten cents per gallon, it's really not that inconvenient to be restricted to service stations that sell E85 ethanol (which, according to the most recent report from DOE, was 20 cents cheaper per gallon than gasoline when prices across the US were compared).

Finally, Chevrolet will launch a market test of fuel cell vehicles this fall.  The test, dubbed Project Driveway, will include deployment of 100 Chevrolet Equinox Fuel Cell vehicles in California, the New York metro area, and Washington DC in an effort to evaluate real-world performance of an entire fleet of fuel cell vehicles.

Side note:  While the Project Driveway vehicles will be powered by the fourth-generation fuel cell propulsion system, GM has already incorporated the fifth-generation system into the Chevrolet Volt - further evidence of GM's continuing commitment to pursue research and development in conjunction with testing and evaluating existing technology.

But while GM proceeds with market tests such as Project Driveway, they are well aware of the inherent challenges of an eventual complete transition to fuel cell technology.  Migration from carbon-based fuels to hydrogen-based fuels involves not only cost and safety considerations, but parallel operations of different technologies will exist throughout the migration period - and possibly beyond.

Even so, these challenges pale in comparison to that of establishing a new infrastructure and/or converting existing infrastructure to handle production and distribution of hydrogen-based fuels.  In GM's discussion of this point, the onus comes back around to the energy companies, like Exxon Mobil:

"While automotive companies are developing fuel cell vehicles, they cannot develop the necessary supporting infrastructure on their own. GM is in active discussions with stakeholders in government, academia, energy companies, and with other automotive manufacturers and suppliers. But, ultimately, the challenge falls on the shoulders of energy companies and government."

As you can see, based on this discussion of GM's efforts and my earlier piece regarding Exxon Mobil, the two companies - perhaps even the two industries, oil and gas versus automotive - are at opposite ends of the spectrum where it comes to diversification in light of environmental concerns.  Exxon Mobil continues to make arguments for expanding current drilling operations and plays up the challenges of moving toward alternative fuels, whereas GM invests heavily in the development of technology that will use alternative fuels and expresses willingness to partner with other industries to make the transition a reality.  Based on the limited research I've done, the government - specifically, the US Department of Energy - seems to side with GM.

What are the next steps?  As I see it, technology will drive action on the part of the government, and eventually on the part of the oil and gas industry as well.  That is, once the challenges of cost and safety no longer impede mass production of fuel cell vehicles, it will only be a matter of time before the incentives to migrate to hydrogen-based fuels will overcome the stonewalling of the oil and gas industry and the inertia of the government.

Land of the Free, Home of the Ambivalent?

As I sit to write this post late today, I am filled with the same feeling of embarrassment and nervousness that came over me most of this past weekend. My husband and two small children were given an opportunity that we could not pass up--a free trip and free room for the weekend in Reston, Virginia for his company's annual picnic. We would be a stone's throw from Washington, D.C., a place that none of us had ever visited, and all of us wanted to go. I was thrilled. We dropped all our weekend plans and decided to go because when would we have this sort of chance again really?

Unfortunately for us, we did not prepare for this trip. As we drove through Virginia, Maryland and then our nation's capitol, I was struck by so much history staring me at the face. Aside from the major things to see, there seemed to be a historic relevance to everything, from the homes that lined the streets on the way to the Mall, to the Dupont circle and the interesting smorgasbord of embassies on our way to Union Station.

And, here's where I get to the embarrassing part...and as I saw history flashing before me, I was also hit by the knowledge that I really don't HAVE a complete and solid understanding of our nation's past or how it is run presently. I really know so very little about what keeps our country a world leader today.

All through my school-age years, I made straight As in history classes. In college, I took enough classes in political science to qualify me for a second minor in that area. And, yet, as I stood in front of historical monument after monument, museum artifact after artifact, I felt my brain wracking itself to try and remember their significances.

Even worse in this sort of situation is when you have a seven and a three-year-old looking up at you asking what things are and what they mean, and you do not have the answers to give them. I am not saying that I did not know anything, but I did not know enough about most things, quite honestly.

I am not beating myself up here, although it may sound that way. I honestly feel like I represent a very large segment of the population. I am college educated, fairly well-read, and working to become more politically connected and active. I live in a very nice suburb of a major city. I pay my taxes every year. I vote in major elections. My own father has run for political offices in our rural Texas town and even served as Mayor for a term.

And, yet, I did not know my way around Washington, D.C. I could not tell you some really important facts about our nation's history and had to instead learn a lot of it from an overzealous trolley driver on our day tour. And, for that, I feel some shame.

How do we, as citizens of this great country, plan to grab onto this wonderful freedom we have, a freedom for which so many have and are dying, and use that to learn about why we are here and how we can make our nation continue to prosper?

How can we shake this ambivalence and apathy up enough to part that cloud in which so many of us seem to be living. You know the cloud? The one that you let fall over you and your home that allows you the excuse that you are too overwhelmed with your own life to worry about what is going on with a bunch of lawmakers across the country? What could your vote, your knowledge or your involvement really do to make a hill of difference to the country? Yeah, that cloud. I've been living in it for many years now. And, it is high time that I find my way out.

My whirlwind trip to D.C. was a learning experience for me in more than one way. I realized that it is time that I grow up, and I start making a conscious decision to know, to learn, and to really live in this great country I have been so blessed to be born in, instead of living with blinders on hoping for the best. How about you? Are you ready to join me?

Supporting Our Troops

I would guess I'm not alone in saying that I'm not a fan of war.  I'd love for there to be a world without violence over religious differences, territorial disputes, political philosophies, or power struggles.  However, I am a realist: war won't be eliminated in my lifetime, no matter how much we pray for peace.  In my mind, it's an undesirable, but unavoidable, part of life on Earth today.

Although I loathe war, I am a firm believer that we (and by "we" I mean the world community) must support our troops -- whether they are serving at home or abroad, or if they've been injured in the line of duty.   But I've struggled with how to do this in a meaningful way -- the red, white, and blue or yellow ribbon car magnets are a nice sentiment, but I've wanted to do something more specific. 

Finally, I have found my inspiration.  This weekend while browsing the news, I came across an article about a Philadelphia-area mother whose son was killed in Iraq last year.  During the last phone conversation between mother and son, soldier Adam Conboy half-jokingly asked his mother to send a care package with enough bedding for his Marine platoon (40 sets!), to make their sleeping conditions a little more bearable.  Adam jokingly called his idea "Operation Bedding."  He died just six days after that call. 

Faced with the unthinkable news of her son's death, Adam's mother Mary Conboy leapt into action and founded Operation Bedding (the Adam C. Conboy Memorial Fund).  In lieu of flowers at Adam's funeral, Mary collected money so that she could purchase and send a shipment of supplies to Adam's friends who were still serving in Iraq.  Mary's work in support of the troops continues, bolstered by donations of money, supplies, and volunteer services -- each week she coordinates and sends a shipment of six to ten cases of supplies, ranging from Gatorade to socks to baby wipes.  I personally am amazed at her determination and resolve -- I'm not sure I'd be such a pillar of strength under the same circumstances.

Once I read about Mary Conboy's charity, I decided to do a little more research and see what other opportunities there are to provide support to the U.S. troops.  A quick search on Yahoo shows that there are a LOT of organizations out there coordinating the delivery of supplies, services, and other types of support for our soldiers.  Of course, I don't rely on a search engine to tell me which ones are legitimate charities and which are not -- I'm a bit picky about who I will donate my money to.   So if you're looking for other alternatives to "Operation Bedding," this Department of Defense-sponsored site is a great (and reputable) place to start. 

Next Monday is Memorial Day, when the United States will spend a day remembering those who have died while serving our country in the U.S. military.   Please consider honoring the memory of Adam Conboy and others who have perished through a tangible demonstration of support -- whether it's a donation, a commitment of your time for volunteer services, or a message to the troops.

And because it can never be said too much: I'd like to express my gratitude to all of our military men and women serving domestically and abroad.  Your sacrifices are not taken for granted by me or by my family.  Thank you.

Children & Healthcare in the U.S.

Did you know . . .

• 9 million children living in the U.S. are uninsured?
• Children without insurance are less likely to seek medical help potentially leading to a lifetime of health problems?
• Children covered by adequate health insurance perform better in school?
• Children without health insurance rarely seek preventative care and therefore (on average) miss more school days due to illness and their parents more days from work?

According to the Campaign for Children's Health Care great strides have been made in obtaining health insurance coverage for America's children, but 1 in 8 children remain uninsured.  That's right, 1 out of every 8 children.  That's enough to fill more than one million little league teams.

I once was one of these children.  Thankfully I went only a short time without health insurance.  I was in high school when my father was laid off.  He had the option of paying for the health insurance we had previously taken for granted at cost.  That's right.  They lay you off and then politely offer you the opportunity to pay for your own health insurance which for my family was going to cost $1,500 per month.  (That was almost 15 years ago, btw.)  And that only covered a portion of the cost for things like emergencies and hospital stays should the need arise for them.  Prescriptions were not covered.  Dental visits were not covered.  Eye care was not covered.

I have two younger sisters and decided that they needed things like teeth cleanings and doctor's appointments more than I did.  (I am no martyr. Actually, I have a bit of a phobia about doctors in general and enjoyed not having to make routine appointments.  I won't tell you how long it was until I finally made it back to the dentist :)  But as I learned in composing this post, teenagers are just as in need of adequate health insurance because they are more at risk for things like sports injuries.  The point is ALL children need health insurance coverage because without it they often go without treatment and something as easily treated as an ear infection can cause permanent hearing damage if left unchecked.

While insuring children should be a national priority as a human rights issue, we as a society will see other benefits.  Adequately insured children will miss less school days which allows parents to be at work rather than caring for a sick child.  Children with adequate medical care perform better in school not just because they're in the classroom more, but because their emotional and social development is improved.

So I'm calling on everyone who reads this post to sign this petition sponsored by the Campaign for Children's Health Care, as well as organizations like Momsrising.org, the Alliance for Children and Families, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Federation of Teachers and many others which calls upon the U.S. government to make providing health care for ALL children in the U.S. a national priority.

It's time to make access to adequate health care at a reasonable price a right for all to enjoy, not just a privilege of those fortunate enough to have the means to afford it.

National Marrow Donor Program

I have a blog friend who does a monthly challenge called Small Change.  The premise behind it is so simple: you make a change for the good every month.  It doesn't have to be big or spectacular or change your way of living, but it should make a difference in another's life.  This months challenge scared me just a little bit as I had always heard that donating marrow was an excruciating experience, pain filled and not anything to be done by choice.  But from what I'm seeing it's not so bad anymore.  And when it comes right down to it, I'm willing to suffer a couple days or weeks discomfort if it means someone else has a chance in the face of some pretty scary diseases. 

Ready to sign up for the National Marrow Donor Program?

If not then consider this: if one of your children needed a marrow donor and you weren't already registered how would you feel?  Knowing that there could be a match out there when your child is sick, but not being able to find them would be the worst hell I could ever imagine.  If you can save a parent from that or give someone the chance to be there for their own kids, how could you say no?  Sorry to pull out the guilt card, but come on. This is one of the ways you really CAN make a difference.

Go sign up. They're having a marrow drive where you can get the collection fee waived if you sign up before May 21.  Just follow this link.   You'll be glad you did.  Even if they poke holes in your back and suck out your marrow.  Just think of the awesome karmic juju you'll get from that little ditty! 

P.S. If you do sign up, go tell Beth of Small Change you did so.  I want her to see what a brilliant impact she's having on the world.  Also, my goal is to get 20 people signed up (a personal goal, I won't get a pony or anything), so let me know if you go for it!