This is the least altruistic report card so far. But, as previously discussed, I maintain that a good deed is a good deed, whatever the motive. This week's motive was Christmas shopping.

Every year we ask each other what we'd like for Christmas, and seldom can anyone come up with a reply. So every year we make a luke-warm guess or, in my somewhat more practical family, chalk up a gift IOU to be filled when the giver or receiver actually can think of something, and it's never quite satisfying. Because I love giving. But not for the sake of exchanging unecessary tat so we can all appreciate "the thought". So this year, we decided to go whole hog with the charity gifts.

We chose this site, because they offered a range of gift packages to suit every taste and budget, promised to send all our money to the nominated charity, and checked out nicely on a google search of independant sources. We decided to personalise our gifts by matching the receiver carefully with a particular cause, and agreed that if we knew of the perfect non-charity gift for someone, we'd get that too. My mother, for example, is getting to help a women's cancer screening program in Guatemala, because she's a cancer-surviving woman, and also a studio portrait of myself and sisters in a handsome frame, which I hope to replace with a more likeable photo before too long.

We debated over a present for SIL's family. In the end he won and we bought a gift from the same charity to send a child to school, because she's planning to finish her degree someday and become a teacher. In return he agreed not to purchase this book for our nephew.

Also, for the first time I wished our clinic gave embryo pictures. Because I was seized with a sudden (though not, I think, morbid) desire to include Christmas photos of the ten little embryos who tried so hard this year, especially the three who "almost" made it.


9 Comments

Stephanie said...
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Serenity said...
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Lut C. said...
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ColourYourWorld said...
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Thalia said...
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Jules said...

My clinic doesn't give pictures either, but on two or three occasions, I have take in a camera.

It would be so nice, to be able to have a very first photo of...

Someday.

Anonymous said...

I still have all my embryo photos leftover from all my transfers.

That's NINE embryos transferred that didn't make it (but some definitely tried, a lot) NOT including the ones that didn't make the grade to even be transferred. (some arrested prior to transfer, etc.

So, I think that makes 11 embryos/fetuses lost in the last year.

I wasn't even planning on doing any Christmas cards this year, AT ALL -- but now that a few have started trickling in, I feel bad and figure that I should at least send a few out.... Siiiiiiigh

I'm just signing them though, that's all! (or putting in the photos of the embryos -- at your suggestion! ;) )

xx
Nilla

Carly said...

I am a huge fan of having a pic of the embryo. I bloody forgot to take my camera yesterday so don't have a pic of the frostie now on board (burrowing deeply??) Kicking myself for forgetting!!

Bea said...

Stephanie said...
The charity gift thing is a good idea.

serenity said...
Your last paragraph made me tear up and remember my little embryos that tried so hard too.
*hug*

Lut said...
Giving that site some publicity is also a good deed. :)

Vee said...
Great gifts Bea, Happy Shopping!

Thalia said...
We gave charity gifts to my PIL last year and they LOVED it so we're doing it again.

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