A baby was brought into the world by a mother and father who didn't care. I don'tknow why they didn't care; maybe they didn't like the baby, or they were toobusy, or they didn't want to be a mother and a father. Or, maybe they didn't knowhow to care. They just didn't.

The mother and father showed the baby howthey didn't care by not doing anything at all. When the baby took his firststeps, they didn't encourage him. When the baby had many toys, they didn't teachhim how to share. When the baby was sad and cried, they didn't help him to feelbetter. When the mother and father argued with each other, they didn't teach thebaby how to get along with others, and how to love. They didn't teach the babyhow to care.

One day the baby grew up, became a man, and married a womanwho was just like him. They were sick of people on the streets asking them forspare change, and they had lousy jobs because they didn't think they could do anybetter. When the woman was upset, the man told her to shut up, and they bothhated their neighbors because they always fought over parking spaces. The worldwas full of poverty, crime, countries at war, and people who didn't care. Butnone of this ever bothered the man and the woman, because no one ever told themit should.

Then it was time for the man and the woman to bring a baby intothe world, to become a father and a mother. And the same thing happened all overagain.

When it's my turn to bring a baby into the world, I'm going toteach him about tolerance, acceptance, confidence, generosity, and compassion.When he grows up and becomes a man, he'll know all of these virtues. And insteadof suffering, he'll find love in the world, and he'll care. n