“Big mummy”, that’s what she calls me. “I want to study nursing, but I just don’t know how I’ll ever afford it. The money isn’t enough. I feel stuck, like my dream will slip away because of lack.”

I paused mid-stir. Her words pulled something up inside me.

Because I’ve lived nights like this, nights when it seemed like the world had closed in.

I remember the various negative and unpleasant experiences I’ve had that made me question everything. I remember working but not having enough for further studies. I remember doubting whether I’d ever feel confident again, whether I’d ever have the chance to rise above.

That I would always be limited by burdens bigger than my age.

But something inside me resisted.

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Hope. A whisper. A stubborn pulse that said, despite the losses, despite the lack, maybe there’s more.

So, I did what I could, I held her hands and looked at her, kneading courage into my voice.

Your dreams live in more than what your wallet can hold.

“I know it hurts that the money isn’t enough,” I said. “I know what it is to feel powerless. But listen: lack of funds, it doesn’t have to be the thing that defines you.”

I told her about nights when I thought my future was lost, about watching others with more resources move ahead. About feeling invisible in their shadows. But also about the quiet mornings that followed those nights: mornings when someone believed in me, mornings when a small opportunity showed up, mornings when I discovered reserves in myself I didn’t know I had.

I told her that just because something has been hard doesn’t mean it will be forever. It’s holding the thought that it can return, even when all you see is shadows.

It’s reminding your heart that funds may be scarce, but they aren’t your value. Your dreams live in more than what your wallet can hold.

Because I believe, deep down, that morning always comes. Not the way we expect. Not with fireworks. Sometimes slow. Always sure.

So if you’re standing here, feeling like your dreams are slipping away, don’t let that weight lie to you:

Don’t let your heart say “I’ll never be able to study.”

Don’t let it believe the lack now means defeat always.

Keep planning. Keep saving and asking. Keep leaning on people who believe you. Keep learning in small ways. Keep faith in the quiet that you CAN do this.

Because life can be beautiful again. Because hope, kept alive cannot be snuffed out.

So, keep your dream alive. Let it be your fuel, not a complaint.

The post EXTRA: Life can be beautiful again, By Abike Akintuyi Awojobi appeared first on Frontpageng.