Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death leaves a tremendous void. I was crushed by her death even though she spoke openly about her declining health, and it seemed her death was imminent. She fought cancer as fiercely as she fought for justice. Her loss got me thinking about the Jewish tradition of sitting shiva, which literally means sitting for seven days. It is the first stage in the mourning and healing process. The family comes together to mourn the death of their loved one. Friends and family are expected to visit and comfort the mourners during that week. It is a time to reminisce, remember, and honor the deceased. Sitting shiva is an obligation of first-degree relatives. However, I wanted to dedicate this week to remember RBG and her enduring legacy. I skimmed through “Notorious RBG” and “My Own Words” for gold nuggets. I read articles about her life’s work. And I looked at her famous quotes for inspiration. RBG left us a clear legacy. I hope we can all come together to keep her spirit alive.
The time of RBG’s death has a special meaning in Jewish tradition. We learned of her death on Rosh Hashana Eve, the start of a new year in the Hebrew calendar. It is believed that a person who dies on Rosh Hashana is a tzaddik, a virtuous person. RBG was a valiant warrior and champion for justice. However, her legacy is not merely that of justice-fighting. She exemplified how to fight the good fight with grace, dignity, and tireless energy. She was able to treat even fierce ideological opponents with respect and kindness. How to fight for what we believe in is an important life lesson: how to not only do the right things but to do then the right way.
On September 18 Today.com published 20 Inspiring and Empowering Quotes from the Late Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I thought I’d share the three that I’ve focused on this week.
1. “If you want to be a true professional, do something outside yourself.”
As we juggle the competing demands of work and home, we may get caught in the busyness of doing and achieving. We may become overly focused on proving our professional worth. It is important to want to be respected for our knowledge and expertise as long as we don’t end up losing sight of what’s important. I feel this is a reminder to try and find a deeper connection to the work we do as the means to make a positive and meaningful difference. It is an invitation to ask how we can use our knowledge, skills, and abilities in service of something bigger than ourselves.
2. “Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.”
Passion for a cause often drives our motivation to fight for a cause, what we believe is right. But there’s a fine line between doing what’s right and becoming self-righteous and letting strong opinions cause disdain and division. We cannot fight hatred and bigotry with hate and intolerance. Our challenge is to rise above bias and judgment and resolve disagreements through respect and compassion.
3. “Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time.”
Feelings of anger, frustration, and hopelessness are understandable and justified when change is slow, too painfully slow, with too many discouraging setbacks. RBG has offered us it is possible to feel inspiration and hope alongside fear, anger, and frustration. Real, lasting, change takes time. As we struggle with change, it’s helpful to view it as a journey. Our responsibility is to keep taking step after step, and keep going mile after mile. And along the way, we need to take the time to recognize the milestones, the moments, that make up the flag posts that show how far we’ve come. Remember to celebrate small wins to stay motivated to keep striving and to keep the energy moving forward.
Thank you, RBG. RIP.
Comments