When to go all out to protect loved ones

Even superheroes do get overwhelmed, but many of us refuse to see the reality in that. I didn't grow up with rich uncles and aunts to support my academics; rather, I depended on the meager but appreciable tokens provided to me by my parents. Lucky for me, I happened to be the second-to-lastborn child of my parents, and thus, I had older siblings who looked after me like assistant parents. One of them, in particular, is my mom's firstborn child. He took it up on himself to support his younger siblings with all he could afford, probably going out of his way.

At some point, I realized it was not easy to be the firstborn child, as many responsibilities do lie on it. My older brother was one. We didn't have to tell him to be freely giving, and when we did, he was the superhero that came through for us. Sometimes I must confess that I exploited the advantage; many of us did in one way or another. Just about a week ago, I lamented how financially crippled I was and pleaded that he support me with any token, hopefully to buy fuel for my car.

"Doctors too go broke?" He teased, and I had to remind him that Nigerian doctors are poor.

He was gracious yet again to send a substantial amount to fill my tank and have something extra. Such was his magnanimity even while I was an undergraduate, and I partly depended on him for support. However, a different toll was seen in 2019, just before COVID-19. My brother was preparing to travel out of the country, and though he always acted like a superhero, he was forced to approach me for a loan.

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Unfortunately, there are requests that come with bad timing, and such was the case. The money my brother was in need of was quite significant at that moment, some hundreds of thousands he needed to top up his flight and journey out of the country. He didn't have to tell me when he'd return, as I knew very well that he would return and even give me extras. Loan apps were out of my options as they were like sharks ready to devour, even though they were enticing to take. I began asking people, even those I had not reached out to in a while, and I kept getting the same response. At some point, I didn't mind selling off a few plots of land.

Luckily, a lady friend offered me the loan. Women have money! Well, I was grateful, and immediately I wired the money to my brother. He was equally grateful, as he suspected I had gone out of my way to secure the loan for him. Barely a month later, he paid back the money loaned after he settled in. I had peace of mind from the moment I secured the loan until I paid it back.

If I had other loved ones like my brother, I would not hesitate to go all out. Fortunately and unfortunately, i do not relate much with extended families so much. I have my reservations when it comes to going all out for them or protecting them.

Thank you for reading. I would love to have your comments and contributions.