“Do you really care about anything that is happening around, as you remain silent most of the times?” asked the inquisitive student to the reticent Master. The Master smiled first and then replied – “it isn’t as easy to care in practice as much as we can use it while talking, but then who cares!”
“I do” said the student, “so please tell me more about it.”
The Master went on – “CARE in its true sense is best understood as an acronym with each letter in that word signifying an important value that it holds.
The first letter C stands for Concern – and in right amounts. It is not too much worrying or a constant interference which becomes a nuisance. The concern is seen or demonstrated in the ease of access to the person and speed in his or her response, when required or sought for. In other words it is being alert and ready, always. Also it is essential to remember that the concern is of real value only if we are capable of addressing it when it matters.
The second letter A stands for Attention – this is the most central value of CARE. If we really care, we are attentive. The attention to details, as both God and Devil are in the details. We should seek to understand more and judge less by giving attention.
The third letter R stands for Reassurance – the most visible and comforting aspect of care is that, it is reassuring. It is also revisiting, though not necessarily repeating, to ensure that everything is alright as it should be
Finally the last letter E stands for Engagement – with all the concern, attention and reassurance that we can give, if we don’t engage or involve with the person or the thing that we care for, the care is never complete.
Though these are the four significant aspects or values of care, care is a lot more than just each of these or the sum of all these.”
“As in?” asked the student. “As in the care the mother gives for her young ones, the care the surgeon puts in on the operation table, the care the potter takes when he shapes the vase or the gardener takes while dirtying his hands. The care that is the very root of the tree called unconditional love” replied the Master.
“How does one know who cares for you the most?” asked the student. “There is an easy test to find out that. It would be that person whom you can take for granted – almost any time in your life!” replied the Master.
“Isn’t it a bit ironic, that the one who cares for you the most is the one you may not care for as much because you can take him or her for granted all the time?” asked the student.
“No, it isn’t like that” replied the Master. “It is simply because the one who truly cares for you is the one with whom you can be totally carefree without having to think or worry about the consequences of your conduct or behaviour with that person. Such is the beauty of true care that it sets the person being cared free of any obligations other than the one to keep him or her worthy of receiving it.”
“So is that the only obligation of the one who gets such a care?” asked the student. “Yes. To the one who gives such care, yes” replied the Master. “Hence it is the responsibility of the individuals who are fortunate to receive such care to actually live up to a certain standard that they need to keep in anything that they do, which by the way is the only expectation of those who give such care.”
The student smiled and said “The least I could do from now on is to spare a thought on what do I care for before I use the word care, like “I don’t care” or “As though I cared” and all”
“Take care” said the Master, smilingly…