Share and share alike

Probably the first rule I learned as a child, even before "please" and "thank-you," was to share. It was a big deal in our family, not only sharing with each other but also with neighbors and friends.

It was so ingrained in me by age 3 or 4 that I wouldn't accept anything -- a piece of candy, a birthday gift -- unless there was one for my sister or enough to share. Actually, both of our parents preached sharing like it was the second coming. And they were on to something important.

So I got to thinking about this ideal world we want to build, and it seems to me that the first thing we can all do is to share more.

It's easier to share things we don't use or need. But I'm thinking along the lines of sharing more than stuff. Here's a hard one: sharing our time. We can usually acquire more stuff, but time is finite, and we tend to hoard it, don't we?

We can also share ourselves, our stories, our failures and successes. Even better, we can share our talents. Each of us is good at something that someone else needs to know or learn or have done.

Even something as simple as a phone call to a shut-in or a "hello" to a stranger can lift someone else's spirits. I know I want to share more. I just have to look for the opportunities, work a little harder at it.

And the bonus is that it almost always lifts our spirits, too. It's like lighting a little match and passing on the fire. Such a small thing. Such a big impact.