慈 appears in many classical compounds: 慈悲 (compassion/mercy), 慈善 (charity), and 慈禧 (Empress Dowager Cixi, whose name uses this character). As a standalone character it is more literary/classical than colloquial.
memory
Think of 慈 as two 幺 (threads) over 心 (heart) — a heart entwined with tender threads of care.
