Sharing

Generous? Or Stingy?
One of the first things we learn at home as toddlers is how to share. Little children are quite possessive with toys, clothes, food, etc., until they learn that they must share with others, which, for some is a hard lesson to learn. But, they eventually learn it.
So why is it that when children grow into adults, they begin to revert back to stingy practices again? "What's mine, is mine!" "Go get your own!"
Such was the case with my grandmother when she asked a niece for some information on her family line. The niece wouldn't release ANY information, and even said that she didn't have any records (which was untrue). Stingy!
Granted, a lot of time goes into researching, paying for, and entering birth/death records on official sheets for a book of remembrance or journal, but at the very least, a relative could be pointed in the same direction to get the same information.
My husbands' aunt spend countless hours and money researching, documenting, and compiling a huge book of remembrance for her family's line that went back as far as she could find information (which took years). When she was finally done, she offered the compiled book to her sisters for the cost of the book/pages/copies. What a great gift to offer her sisters. Of course, each one paid for a book and it remains a treasure to each, to be passed down through their children.
I had the opportunity to copy an entire book, complete with pictures, of a 1-1/2 inch thick book of remembrance for my sister-in-law. I scanned pictures, retyped passages, cut, pasted, and mailed to her this labor of love at my cost, so she would have the same information as I had. Even though it took a few months to complete, I felt happy that I could do it, and she was very grateful to receive it. I was thrilled that she saw the same value in this book that I saw, and I felt that it put us on common ground with regard to the excitement of learning about our ancestors.
However, sometimes, it can be hard to let go of the important information we've spent hard hours finding, so someone who hasn't lifted a finger to help, or who hasn't seemed interested, can take it and file it away, never to look at it again.
The point of doing genealogy, writing journals, and creating a history of our families is so that SOMEONE will appreciate it and we'll know we've done well for ourselves. Because, by and large, people don't really care much about their roots, or keeping tally of their experiences. Those who do, always recognize and cherish the value of a joural, and can appreciate the time and work that goes into such an endeavor as a compiling a book of remembrance.
Sharing goes a long way in building families stronger. Lesson for the day: Don't be stingy, BE GENEROUS!