Claim. Parental sacrifice generates gratitude, gratitude generates joy in return, and the cycle of sacrificial give-and-take establishes eternal relationships of joy and peace in the family.
Elaboration. SMM names the mechanism by which family love perpetuates itself: “If parents, motivated by true love, invest in and sacrifice themselves infinitely for their children, those children will feel infinite gratitude for having received this true love and their parents will experience great joy in place of their sacrifice. In this way, the power of sacrificial true love initiates a give and take action that establishes an eternal relationship of joy and peace” (CSG 15.1 §4, 288-199, 1997.11.28). The section reinforces this with a thought experiment about generational sacrifice: “How happy would your grandparents be to give up their lives out of love for your parents? Also, how happy would parents be to love their children even at the risk of their lives? You say that you are willing to die for the sake of love, but true love is actualized when a grandson dies for the sake of his grandfather” (162-140, 1987.4.5). True love is therefore not measured by what one gives but by the directionality of that giving — downward investment that nonetheless produces upward gratitude.
See also. csg-true-family-is-the-primary-platform-of-true-love