Sharing

As children we are taught to share toys and games, food, and space. The ritual of "show and tell" is also a means of sharing the things we like with others.

As teenagers we learn another type of sharing when we share our talents while playing team sports, singing in a chorus, and acting in a school play. We also begin to share a bit of ourselves personally when we start dating.

As adults we share when we collaborate with colleagues on an idea or project at work, and we share ourselves personally when we spend time with friends and become intimate with a lover.

But in my opinion the the ultimate in sharing is blogging. Blogging is all about sharing.

Our mundane weekly tasks, when shared comically, can cause readers to smile and laugh.

When we share things that have made us happy we can, in turn, make others happy.

When we share what has caused our heart to feel broken we touch other hearts. Healing words are often shared in blog comments, and the world begins to feel just a little smaller and kinder. Others are sometimes going through exactly what we're going through, so we help them without knowing it.

Others can share in our joy when we share the milestones in our lives, such as anniversaries, achieving a weight loss goal, quitting smoking, or completing a marathon.

Many have become friends in person as a result of sharing themselves on their blogs.

When we share, we give. When we give, we often help. And when we give, we often receive. Sharing is contagious.

So I'd like to say "Thank you" to the bloggers who share themselves with me in their blogs. Thank you for sharing, for giving, for helping.

And I'd like to say "Thank you" to those of you who read this blog and allow me to share myself with you.

Crush du Jour: Colin O'Neal