When you think of the most caring person that you know, who do you think of? What does caring mean and why does it matter?

To me, caring means wanting to be there for someone or something: you can care for yourself (an important one), care for a pet, care for your grandparents, care for your friends, care for your environment, and care for strangers. Caring comes in many shapes and sizes: it can be small, big, weird, but also  valiant, courageous, balancing, and responsible. The caring I admire the most is altruism: that instinct in many of us to care for others – even strangers – simply because it is the right thing to do. Unfortunately, this is something that too many people lack.

If you don’t know the Black Eyed Peas (do you live under a rock?), they released a song “Where is the Love?” in 2003 in response to 9/11, gang violence, racist violence, and police brutality, among other things. A few days ago, they released an updated version “#WHERESTHELOVE ft. The World” to ask everyone, again, where is the love? What do you care about? Why aren’t you caring more for the world around you? Are you aware of how the people and things you care about are directly affected by the hatred you see around you?

I agree with the Black Eyed Peas. I think what we all need a little reminder of what is most important in the world: love.

“But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And when you hate then you’re bound to get irate, yeah

Madness is what you demonstrate
And that’s exactly how anger works and operates
Man, you gotta have love just to set it straight
Take control of your mind and meditate
Let your soul gravitate to the love, y’all, y’all

People killin’, people dyin’
Children hurt and you hear them cryin’
Can you practice what you preach?
Or would you turn the other cheek?

Father, Father, Father help us
Send some guidance from above
‘Cause people got me, got me questionin’
Where is the love (Love)

Love, which in most people’s dictionaries translates to caring, is what keeps the world going ’round. But why do we see so much hate today? Anti-muslim, anti-immigrants, anti-jew, anti-abortion, anti-equality of men and women, and the list goes on and on. Where has the love and compassion gone?

What people need is to CARE MORE, because “we are the world, we are one,” and don’t you want your brothers and sisters to help you when you’re down?

Caring is easy, it can be a simple smile or consideration to your next door neighbor, the man who needs help with his groceries, the woman who dropped her MetroCard, the student who looks like she’s on the brink of tears on the train: we all need more compassion.

If you don’t believe in doing good for the sake of helping, then just remember that what goes around comes around, so what you put out into the world around you will come back to you: goodness creates more good.