Going Green

Typically, when you hear someone say they are 'going green' it means they are going to start using earth friendly methods for everyday activities. They plan on changing their old light bulbs for energy efficient ones. They are going to ride their bike more and use their car less. And, if they aren't already, they are going to start recycling. How fitting is it then, that the kidney donor ribbon is green?

Today as I was leaving the renal transplant floor of St Francis, I noticed a cute little quilt on the wall that somebody had sewn for the department. The quilt had different sorts of green material all stitched together to make a green "donor" ribbon. It occured to me that there are probably a large number of people out there who don't know what it means when they see someone wearing a green ribbon. We all know the yellow ribbon is for our troops. And the pink ribbon is for breast cancer. And we all remember red ribbon week at school to keep kids off drugs. But I'll bet few realize that when they see a green ribbon, it is in support of kidney donation.

Yesterday at mom's, as we were all sitting around eating lunch, she pulled out her little spool of green ribbon. Mom wanted us all to make little ribbons out of the spool and safety pin them to our shirts. What a GREAT idea!! We all wore our ribbons around the rest of the day. I have to say, it gives me a kind of proud feeling to own a green ribbon. I plan to wear my little green ribbon to death over the course of the next few months. I plan to get a green ribbon t-shirt. And I plan to get a green ribbon magnet for my car. I truly plan on Going Green.