I can do this,
Just as Sarah carried her baby in an aging body
I will get through this,
Just as Rebecca stretched her back and arms one more time to reach the water
I will heal from this,
Just as Rachel’s body opened to a sweet new welcome after a time of seclusion
I will see clearly through my tears,
As many did.
I will not give up, ever,
Just as Miriam set one foot in front of the other in the midst of the mud.
I will return and return to my labor,
Like Ruth, I will not miss the slightest chance.
I will discern calmly,
Just as Dvorah did, sitting under her palm tree,
I will fight fiercely,
Just as Judith and Esther did.
I will survive, I will sing new songs of beauty
Just as any nameless woman, an ancestor,
Who lived through her cycle of pain and losses,
And then rose up.
I have one of you next to me, at any time and step, sisters,
Holding my hands, back, and head; holding me upright,
Whispering, mumbling, “never give up.”
