To Donors & Donors in Heart

Every response from you is a heart-warming experience to me. It shows that you care.

It is sometimes debated which should be the basic tenet of the human society: humanity or the rule of jungle? The rule of jungle dictates the survival of the fittest, whereas the yardstick of humanity is how one treats the most vulnerable.

Wanbin Lu might have been among the fittest. But now he is definitely among the most vulnerable. Your caring for him as a friend or a total stranger demonstrates that humanity triumphs. That is an assurance to us all.

We may be doing well for the moment. We may feel invincible over the horizon as far as we can see. But how far can we see, really? Misfortune has its way of sneaking upon anyone. How many foresaw the on-going financial maelstrom that has sucked away so much of personal fortunes as well as of the world economy at large? How often do we hear news of yet another rich or famous just falling prey to some terrible disease or accident?

Whereas misfortune is hard to predict, one thing is as certain as death and taxes: aging. Recently I emailed my daughter in college some photos of my extended family, from my parents in their 90s on down. This was her feedback: It's interesting (and a little sad) to see the grandparents look more and more like kids, while the cousins look more like adults. It is the iron-clad rule of aging that everyone, if blessed with much-coveted longevity, will sooner or later be like kids again at others' mercy.

Social Security may provide a sort of basic safety net for those who qualify. But humanity is the ultimate safety net for each and every one of us all.