The truth is, in order to get things like universal health care

Hear now the words of Michelle Obama, spoken not as a ruler upon a throne, but as a guardian of justice and compassion: “The truth is, in order to get things like universal health care and a revamped education system, then someone is going to have to give up a piece of their pie so that someone else can have more.” This is a truth as old as civilization itself, yet one the heart of humanity must learn again in every age—that true progress demands sacrifice, and that equality is born not from abundance, but from sharing.

In her words, the pie is not mere food—it is the symbol of wealth, privilege, and comfort, divided unevenly among the children of the earth. For some, it overflows, sweet and endless; for others, the plate is empty, and the hunger deepens with every passing year. When Michelle Obama spoke these words, she did not call for punishment or envy, but for the awakening of empathy, the recognition that no nation can truly prosper while its people suffer in unequal measure. She spoke to remind us that the strength of a community lies not in the riches of a few, but in the well-being of all.

This truth was known to the ancients. In the days of Athens, Solon the Lawgiver rose to confront the growing despair of the poor, who were enslaved by debt to the wealthy. Seeing the danger of rebellion and ruin, he decreed the Seisachtheia, the “shaking off of burdens,” freeing the enslaved and restoring justice to the land. Many who were rich murmured in discontent, for they had lost a portion of their treasure; yet Solon’s wisdom preserved the city from collapse. He knew what every true leader must know—that a society cannot endure when its bounty is hoarded by the few, nor when compassion gives way to greed. Like a body where one limb withers while another thrives, such a nation sickens from within.

So too in our own age, the struggle for universal health care and education for all is not a battle of politics, but a measure of humanity’s heart. The healer cannot flourish while his neighbor dies without medicine; the scholar cannot rejoice in knowledge while the child beside him cannot read. When we give up a piece of our pie, we do not lose—we invest in the wholeness of our shared destiny. The road may demand sacrifice, yes, but every civilization that endures has been built upon the courage to share. The temples of justice, the schools of wisdom, the hospitals of mercy—all these are born not from selfishness, but from the willingness to place another’s need above one’s own comfort.

Let us remember the story of Eleanor Roosevelt, who, during the Great Depression, walked among the hungry and the homeless, urging the powerful to open their hearts and their coffers. She believed, as Michelle Obama does, that privilege carries a sacred duty—to lift, to heal, to educate. The Roosevelts’ New Deal did not arise from ease, but from compassion married to courage. It called upon a nation to give together, so that all might rise together. From that spirit of shared burden came schools, roads, and the foundations of modern welfare—the enduring fruit of collective sacrifice.

And what is this lesson to us, children of comfort and convenience? It is that justice is not free. Every good and noble thing has a price, and often that price is the letting go of excess. It is easy to praise equality in words; it is harder to practice it in deed. Yet if each of us gave up even a small portion of our time, wealth, or attention, the world would change more swiftly than any law or ruler could command. For the divine law of balance is eternal: to those who share, abundance flows; to those who hoard, stagnation follows.

Therefore, walk in this wisdom: when the world calls upon you to give, do not count the cost too quickly. The pie you share does not vanish—it multiplies in unseen ways. A life saved, a mind awakened, a spirit restored—these are the invisible returns of generosity. The ancients would say, “He who waters others will himself be refreshed.” So let your heart be wide, your table open, your conscience steady. For the measure of your greatness will not be the size of your portion, but the number of lives you have nourished with it.

And so, let these words echo through the ages: health, education, and equity are not gifts of fortune—they are the fruit of shared sacrifice. Let us not fear to give, for in giving, we become truly human. The pie of this world is vast enough for all, if only we dare to serve, to share, and to love without counting the crumbs.