Happy Thanksgiving

Time marches on inexorably each year: from flailing new year's resolutions via valentine's day (and the mad rush for a date or alternately, a good byline denying that valentine's day even matters - depending on where the year finds you), past spring flings, mother's day and father's day, the fantastic promise of summer which somehow never seems to reach it's full potential, winding down with the mad leaves fall dancing, traipsing through Diwali & Nav Ratri, just to get to the deliciously spooky creepiness of Halloween and then moving onwards now with the confidence of a sure thing to the crazy cluster of holidays - Thanksgiving (and Black Friday & Cyber Monday its unlikely cronies) where the final push to gift/shopping/visiting insanity is our constant friend all the way to Christmas and another new year's eve.

Each one of us sprinkles on important dates for garnish on this ratatouille dish of days and months - a birthday here, an anniversary there and if you are like me umpteen concerts all across the genre board.

Inexorably, we progress  this business of living and being. Each day we show up. Reinventing , learning, adjusting, changing and hopefully improving.

But today is Thanksgiving. And in this mad merry-go-round that spins us every year from one end of the diameter to another, the memories that stand out the most are the one's about giving and being grateful (even without cause).

There are people struggling with poverty, natural disasters and dictators.

There are those who are seeking: marrow donors, organs, blood transfusions, love, jobs.

There are those who have almost given up on finding an helping hand, a glimmer of recognition, an acknowledgement that they too exist or matter.

There are those who are attempting to be heard.

This planet is sure getting more and more crowded everyday. And our needs keep growing as well.
The question is, what are WE going to do about it?

May this holiday spark the giving & gratitude in all our hearts.

 ( On a personal note, I'm glad I actually cooked a Thanksgiving dinner this year - it took me only 25 or so years since the time I first got here (US) as a graduate student! )

Written by:  Miss Gitanjali Gulve Sehgal AKA Ms. Gitanjali GulveSehgal AKA Miss Gigi Sehgal 

Copyright © 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Gigi Sehgal a.k.a G G Sehgal a.k.a Gitanjali Gulve Sehgal  All rights reserved.

November 6th

OF the people
BY the people
FOR the people

Today's giving idea is simple enough:

Give yourself a voice, give yourself a choice.

Vote.

Voter information: http://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/propositions/30/

Written by: Ms. Gitanjali GulveSehgal AKA Ms. Gitanjali Gulve Sehgal AKA Ms. Gigi Sehgal Copyright © 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Gigi Sehgal a.k.a G G Sehgal a.k.a Gitanjali Gulve Sehgal All rights reserved.

Be a lifetime superhero !

Sometimes we choose what things to vivify in our lives and sometimes, things choose to appear and bring us to life.

I've blogged often in the past many years, about my favorite cause - signing up people to the national marrow registry in an attempt to help people suffering from leukemia and worse diseases fight and conquer them.

Seeing your own young sibling battle something like this unsuccessfully at an early age, is an experience which will stick with you for the rest of your life. And so, this cause has chosen me from my childhood (which was a long long long time ago :-) )

This past weekend, in the midst of the usual costumed merriment I managed to stop over at the Asian American Donor Program's charity Halloween event. And I'm so glad I went!

I caught a marrow donor speak about his experience and a survivor talk about her experience.
And listening to these two brought home yet again, how important and critical this cause is.

To hear the young man who was a marrow donor speak about his experience and put the inconvenience and any temporary pain in perspective  by the benefit (a life saved) ought to help allay the fears faced by typical registrants and donors on the mechanics of marrow donation. Quite frankly, most of the time, the procedure does not require invasive techniques and can be managed via peripheral extraction (similar to the process used for blood donation) executed in an out patient procedure.

 On the flip side, to hear a young survivor speak to her experience of how her life was saved by a marrow donor and to hear the full thriving life she leads now, indeed rounds up the story of why this cause is so important.

To put it plainly:

• The need is great. There are 1000s of critically ill leukemia patients awaiting a matched donor in bay area alone. 
• Chances of a marrow match are one in million (unlike blood donations, marrow donation requires HLA typing match which is far more difficult)
• Average potential registrants and donors are scared of the perceived pain. Any donor can share with you their story and put your concerns to rest - just ask them!
• People wonder if marrow donation does work - yes it does. Just ask the survivors!
• You. Yes YOU can be a superhero too. For real. 

Check out http://www.aadp.org

In my spare time, you will often find me working on some fun event to either raise funds for this cause, or register more people to the marrow donor registry. Interested in helping out? Message me. The more the merrier and the more lives we could save!

Written by: Ms. Gitanjali GulveSehgal AKA Ms. Gitanjali Gulve Sehgal AKA Ms. Gigi Sehgal Copyright © 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Gigi Sehgal a.k.a G G Sehgal a.k.a Gitanjali Gulve Sehgal All rights reserved.