Treat It as a Gift in Your Mind Before You Hand It Over
Chanakya wrote in the Arthashastra that a man who lends to a friend should consider the money already spent. This is not pessimism, it is the only mental position that keeps a lending relationship from curdling into resentment. When a relative asks to borrow money, the first question to ask yourself is not "will they return it?" but "can I afford to never see this again?" If the answer is no, the conversation ends there. If yes, hand it over with a clean heart and no internal countdown. The moment you start tracking the days since you lent, the relationship begins to cost you more than the amount.
