The most important meanings of the upcoming holidays include time with family and friends, spirituality, and taking time to relax and reflect.  But presents are fun, too, right?  So I’d like to give out a few gifts to you, my readers, with a 3rd contest today, as well as from the last 2 Mondays (Contest #1 and Contest #2).

You can enter today’s contest by making a donation to any pain organization during 2009.  This can be either a new donation or you can count any donation you’ve made this past year.  The deadline to enter the contest is December 31.  The winner will get to choose third from these prizes (the winners of Contest #1 and #2 get to choose first):

• Life Disrupted:  Getting Real About Chronic Illness in Your Twenties and Thirties, a book by Laurie Edwards
• The Computer Athlete’s Handbook, a book by Brian Bentow
• A “Book Buddy” pillow for reading and using your laptop in comfort
• A set of 6 squishy, funny “pain faces” dolls which show 6 pain levels
• The Wisdom to Know the Difference, a book by Eileen Flanagan

To be entered in the drawing:

Click here to submit the following information:

1. Your name
2. Your email address (this will only be used to contact you if you’ve won and not for any other purpose)
3. What pain charity you donated to

A few charity suggestions:  American Pain Foundation, National Pain Foundation, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association, or any of the disease-specific national organizations that do so much good work.

Thanks for your support of charities which work to help patients with pain!  Remember, the deadline is 12/31.  Good luck in the contest!

Contest #1:  Write an article for How to Cope with Pain

Contest #2:  Sign up for delivery (free!) of How to Cope with Pain

If you or your company would like to provide a prize for a future contest, contact me here.