She was such a beautiful, beloved little baby girl, fluffy blond curls shaping her smiling face. Her family adored her and especially did her 6-year-old brother. He played with her every day after school.

But it wasn’t long before things began to change. The baby girl cried a lot and no longer wanted to play. They took her to the doctor and, after doing tests, he told them their baby was dying of a rare blood disease.

She needed to have blood transfusions right away. After testing everyone in the family for a match, it was determined her brother was the only match.

The doctor asked him, “You can save your sisters life if you give her your blood. Will you do that?”

The little boy was very quiet for a moment then said, “If it will make my sister well, then yes, I will give my blood to her.”

The day came.

In the operating room, on one table lay the baby girl and on the other table lay the little boy.

As the blood began to drain from his body into hers, which was the way it had be done in this emergency, her cheeks began to rosy up. His cheeks, however, grew pale and he began to feel very weak. Finally, he said in a small voice to the doctor, “Doctor, will I die quick?”

Nobody realized when the little boy said, “Yes,” he thought he had to give all of his blood and then he would die. Yet it only took him a few moments to decide.

Doesn’t this make you look at your own capacity for love?

I realize unconditional love is achieved by very few of us.

There is this study where Macaques (primates) were given food by pulling a certain chain. By pulling it, however, another Macaque in plain view was electrically shocked, causing great pain. 87 percent elected to go hungry. They would not pull the chain if it meant causing pain to another. Some went weeks without food by choice.

I need to add here that I greatly disapprove of this test. It proves my point about unconditional love, but it did cause pain to the primate when the chain was pulled. I hate this.

I believe very few of us humans would love to the extent that litte boy loved. I also think most of us, sooner or later, would pull that chain and eat rather than starve to spare another human’s pain.

You know, maybe we must reach the highest good by turning back. Maybe we need to look at the fact that animals can and often do put self aside for a higher love.

And weren’t we told to become as little children again? Mightn’t this little boy’s love be the light to show us the way?

The view from the mountain is wondrous.