In my life, I have noticed that people are often hurt by the fact that others do not care or give as much as they do to a relationship. Whether it is friendship, romance, or parent to child, it is a common occurrence for people to feel like they're getting less out of the relationship than they give, which in turn makes them feel hurt and unsatisfied with the relationship. Yet, when we shower people in our affection, do we need to expect the same in return?

I used to be one of the people that expected to receive as much as I give because that's what I thought was fair. If I give you X amount of affection, don't I deserve X amount in return? Apparently not. When I was in high school, I started to realize that everyone is not me. This may seem obvious, but when we hold this expectation about giving, we seem to miss this obvious point. Just because I do something does not mean the other person has to do the same. It is okay to be the more giving one in a relationship as long as the other in the relationship shows that they care, even if it is not of an equal level.

We tend to make ourselves unhappy by setting expectations that are unrealistic. We cannot expect people to be like us because everyone is different. Also, when we start to let go of these expectations, we allow ourselves to feel happier. We are never disappointed when someone doesn't get us a bouquet of roses for our birthday, as we did for them. We can cherish what they do for us and continue to give our love without bounds.

I would like to end by saying that just because people aren't as generous as you, do not feel like you have to give less or that it's unfair to you. Be who you are, don't let other people control how you choose to act. Besides, giving is something that allows you and the receiver both to be happy, so why stop?