Melinda Gates delivered this line as the emotional crescendo of the joint address. She had just shared two devastating stories: an Indian mother who begged Melinda to take her children, and a student in South Los Angeles who asked, 'Do you ever feel like we are the kids whose parents shirked their responsibilities and we are just the leftovers?' Melinda argued that true empathy comes from admitting 'that could be me' — and that when you strip away luck and privilege, the only difference between you and someone in poverty is the ability to provide for your children.