The commitment to care no matter how terrifying, sad, hopeless, traumatic, or disgusting the person's circumstances might be.

This does not deny the importance that the person may be experiencing the result of his/her actions, which is extremely important to that person's mental health.

This also does not give into anger and bitterness that sometimes life does seem utterly, totally unfair, especially when innocent young children are subjected to terrible, terrible conditions far beyond the reach of human understanding, or tools to correct.

The following photo was taken in the Sudan  in the 1990's where the starvation of the population was a result of deliberate actions by politicians for political and economic gain.

The following photo is of a starving child being stalked by a vulture.  Can you imagine the terrifying hopelessness the child must be feeling.  The photographer chased away the vulture, but does not know what became of the child.

If anyone has any other information about this child, please email me.

Photo taken by Kevin Carter, March, 1993, for Life Magazine. Kevin Carter committed suicide in 1994.  His suicide note said, "I'm really, really sorry.  The pain of life overrides joy to the point that joy does not exist."

This photo is of a sister and brother who have survived the holocaust, and now after a boat journey across the Mediterranean Sea, have found out that they are denied access to Palestine.  They now have no wheres in the world to go.

If anyone has any information about these children, please email me.

Photo by Cornelius Ryan, 12/11/46, for Life Magazine.

For me this is the most heartbreaking photo.

This is a 14 year old girl, named Omayra Sanchez, who lived in a small village at the foot of the Nevado del Ruiz Volcano.

In 1985, the volcano exploded.  Omayra was caught in a mud flow that contained a hardening substance that quickly cooled into a rock-like substance sealing in her body up to her shoulders, and her hands.  She could not move, deficate, or hardly breathe, and died slowly in 48 hours.  The villagers and her family tried helplessly to break her out, and finally surrendering to the inadequate technology of their tools for the job, they gave up and spent their remaining time with her comforting her, and praying with her, as she faced death straight on, and finally passed away.

Photo by Frank Fournier, 11/16/85, for Life Magazine.

* Develop the strength and courage to never stop caring.

** Develop a lifestyle that never stops giving.

*** Develop a philosophy that never compromises love and compassion and generosity.

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