Happenstance

by Julie Dickerson

Sharing

Share.

Share is a word that we have been taught since we were young ones.

Children learn to share by constant observations from adults and a little bit of guidance along the way.

Little tots are asked to get a toy from somewhere else to trade for a toy wanted.

If you take a boat load of sand toys to the park, your little one should be told that there will be other children who will probably want to play with the whole boat load and not just a few. If you want to encourage fair play, you might want to say, “We are going to share. Which car, the blue one or the red one, can Billy play with?”

Then, the children are making the decision on the sharing.

I remember our children helping to clean house years ago because we were having company. When the company arrived, they decided since they went to all the work of picking up that nobody was going to get out a toy that day. We had to reassure them that it was fine, and that, we as parents, would help them pick up again at the end of the day.

Sharing is not something that comes naturally and it is not something that is always warranted. Maybe what we should be teaching our children, is to respect the property of others, that they can’t always have what they want and that it is okay to say no.

But, do we as adults continue to share as we get older?

In marriage, it’s a whole different ball game, but you really do have to share.

It’s a real shock when you go to the refrigerator and discover your mate has finished off the milk. So much for having cereal and milk.

Then, to top it off, you go to get the cereal out. I have one kind that I like and Jim has another. Well, he decided mine sat there much too long without being used, so thought he would do me a favor and eat it. I barely had enough to have that bowl of cereal without the milk!

Jim has a beer now and then. And, if he doesn’t have any left, then he helps himself to some of my cold ones in the fridge. So when and if I decide to have something cold, then what I like is usually gone.

We do share the car, the music playing in the car, share a meal now and then when the portion is too much for one, share a movie, share the television–even though he does get the remote, share the loud television commercials, share life.

But, Jim, did you really need to share your cold?

There are limitations on the word “share” and giving a virus to another person isn’t necessary.

I had a feeling that a week ago Saturday on our way to and from Omaha that this was going to happen. Jim sneezed and sneezed, blew his nose immeasurable times, and I had to sit in the car next to all that commotion and not do a thing about it.

Except, catch the cold and try to get over it.