Rana Elgogary

Once in my dream, I saw myself trapped inside a tall, rectangular building, sealed from all sides, with no windows, no doors, no air, and no light.

Four silent walls besieged me, and the place was endless, without an exit.

I was with many girls, but I heard them as I climbed a small ladder step by step. Suddenly, I stopped; it was too short to reach the top.

I looked down and saw them so far away, as if I were alone, stuck at the highest point that could be reached.

I did not turn back; I did not give up. I spread my legs, placing my right foot on one wall and my left foot on the opposite wall, and began to climb the walls with my body, my fear, and my resolve.

And then, it occurred to me to build my ladder with my own hands. I reached out, grabbed a book, and placed it at the end of the short ladder. It rose a little. Then another book, and the height increased...

I didn't place the books directly under my feet; rather, I built a ladder ahead of me and ascended it step by step. With every book, the distance between me and survival shrank.

Every book I lifted was a piece of me: an experience I lived, an idea I believed in, a lesson I learned, or a scar turned into wisdom. As the ladder rose, I rose with it—with a spark of hope, struggle, faith, heartbreak, and then triumph!

I arrived.

I reached beyond the ceiling. I became heritage. I became taller than the building, taller than the constraints, taller than everyone who told me: turn back... I swept through with passion and drifted onwards.

And here I am today, placing this book in your hands—not merely to be a source of knowledge, but to be a step under your feet to help you rise. This book is your ladder; a book written from the heart of a woman who decided to elevate her soul, and thus created the way.