Do not Trade your Mountain

She sashays into the workplace. Emboldened by the promise of youth.

Enamored by the success that precedes her. Walking in the steps of her forerunners.

The world is hers to take. The sky is hers to reach.

Beguiled by what she sees beyond that glass ceiling: 

A promise of triumph, stardom, and splendor. 


She takes her first step. Checking the rungs. Feeling for brokenness

It holds. A crowd gathers to watch. Some cheer. Some scoff.

As she draws closer, the rungs get weaker. 

“You are not ready. You have not tried it 

You are too young. You are too old”.

The weight of the words just won’t let them hold.

Fear and doubt, shroud her in a cloak of darkness.

She cannot see her, oh so sweet, goal. 


Almost there…she takes her first shot at breaking the ceiling.

Nothing. Again and again and again….

The voices again. “You are not ready. You have not worked for it enough”.

You are a woman!” There it is. That word! Woman!

Then it dawns! The glass is made of layers.

Layers of generations of sexism, racism, and all kinds of “isms” 

Layers of bias! Layers of arrogance. Layers of ignorance 


Above the words. Above the  ”ism”. Above the sound of defeat:

Another voice, of the One who crafted her destiny. The One for whom she lives. 

The One who spoke of this moment before it was .

“Don’t trade your mountain”. 

Simple. Clear. Decisive. 


And so she strives on. In the footsteps of her sisters before her.

In the authenticity of Havah, she will learn from her mistakes

In beauty of Sarai, she will pursue the promise.

In the Majesty of Haddasah,  she will persuade kings.

In the devotion of Re’ut, she will seek the truth 

In the patience of Rahel, she will birth her legacy  

In the compassion of D'vorah, she will speak her truth.

In the faithfulness of Hannah, she will pay it forward.

Because her sisters before her did not waver, neither will she!



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