AMICABLU

Whenever I see a picture or video of a lone male buffalo, I can't help but reflect on life. Male buffaloes spend their youthful and most energetic years defending the herd. They charge head-on at predators that threaten their family, placing themselves between danger and the vulnerable members of the group. While the females and calves remain protected in the middle, the males confront lions, hyenas, leopards and, occasionally, African wild dogs. But when age catches up with them, things change. Many are driven out of the herd. They spend the remaining years of their lives alone, wallowing in mud and without the collective protection they once fought so hard to provide. Some are fortunate enough to find one or two other displaced males and form loose associations with them. Life can be brutally unfair to those who are no longer considered useful. Sometimes, it doesn't matter how much you contributed in the past. Once you are no longer needed, people can treat you as though you never mattered. This is why we, especially men, must take retirement planning seriously. Your children should not be your retirement plan. They may not always have the time, resources or capacity to care for you. They may be dealing with their own struggles, trying desperately to keep their own lives together. You must prepare for the possibility that, through no fault of theirs, they may not be able to give you the support you expect. Plan for your old age. Build financial security. Invest in yourself. Create something that can sustain you when your strength, energy and earning capacity begin to decline. Here is the uncomfortable truth: the people you spend your best years protecting may not always be in a position to protect you when you become vulnerable. This is not a reason to stop loving, providing or sacrificing for others. It is a reason to be wise about your own future. Do not spend your entire life building a comfortable world for everyone else while leaving yourself with nothing to fall back on. Love your family, raise your children well, fulfil your responsibilities, but never forget to prepare for the day when you may have to depend on yourself. Because while you cannot control who stays, who leaves or who remembers your sacrifices, you can take responsibility for the future you are building. Be there for others, but don't abandon yourself.