giving comes in many forms

It is said that a man was walking with his son through the fields. As they walked, they saw an old pair of shoes that they assumed belonged to a poor man who was working in a nearby field and would soon return to collect them. The son said to his father: "What do you think, Father, if we hide this worker’s shoes just to play a prank on him and see how he reacts when he finds them missing?" His father replied: "We should not amuse ourselves at the expense of another’s sorrow. But my son, you are wealthy and can make yourself happy—and that poor man too—by doing something better. Put some coins inside his shoes and let’s hide behind the bushes to see his reaction." The boy liked the suggestion. He placed a few coins inside each shoe, then he and his father hid behind some bushes to watch what would happen. After a few minutes, the poor worker came, dressed in worn-out clothes, having finished his work in the field. As he slipped his foot into one of the shoes, he felt something inside. He reached in and found some coins! He did the same with the other shoe and found more coins! He looked at the money in disbelief, checked again to make sure he wasn't dreaming, and then looked around in all directions—but saw no one. He put the money in his pocket, fell to his knees, raised his eyes to the sky, and cried, saying: "Thank you, Lord! You knew my wife is sick, and my children are hungry and have no bread. You have saved me and my family from despair!" He continued to cry and pray for a long time, overwhelmed with gratitude. The boy was deeply moved, and tears filled his eyes. His father then said to him: "Aren’t you more satisfied now than you would have been if you had played him prank?" The son replied: "I’ve learned a lesson I will never forget in my life. Now I understand the meaning of words I never understood before: 'It is more joyful to give than to receive.'" Then his wise father said: *"Know, my son, that giving comes in many forms: 💫💫💫💫💫 Forgiving when you're able to punish is a form of giving. 👍 Praying for the poor in their absence is a form of giving. 👍 Excusing their mistakes and thinking well of them is a form of giving. 👍 Refraining from speaking badly of them behind their backs is also a form of giving