“I know you’re having a hard time at work. Here is some money for you to treat yourself with something you want to eat. And don’t get sick.”
The son who just saw off his mom found an envelope on his bookshelf, where he found a note and a $200 bill. Feeling sorry and thankful that his mom had come all the way to see him, he put a $200 bill in her purse without letting her know, but the same amount of money was back on his bookshelf. He called his mother and told her that he ended up doing nothing for her as she gave him back the money. Then the mother said, “No, I got your money for sure. I also received your gratitude. So, I have more than what I’ve given you.”
She wasn’t wrong. From an arithmetic point of view, the mother and the son simply exchanged the same amount of money, resulting in neither of them gaining or losing any money. However, the result is different when it is calculated on the basis of love. The mother spent $200 for her son and got $200, and in turn she basically gained $400. So did the son. The total amount of the money that the two people gained is $800.
According to the love-based calculation, benefits that are not revealed through the arithmetic calculation can be seen. You will have more than you originally gave and become happy as well. How amazing!