fierce RBG

"To make life a little better for people less fortunate than you, that's what I think a meaningful life is. One lives not just for oneself but for one's community." -Ruth Bader Ginsburg

This year has been one of loss. The death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is another person our country will grieve collectively and individually this year and I’ve seen many social media posts about her legacy. They include artwork and quotes and statements about how much she will be missed. While Ginsburg was appreciated by many while she was alive, like most people who pass away, she will most likely become more respected and admired now that she’s gone. People who did not follow the Supreme Court and the impacts she made will read stories, watch movies about her life, and an emptiness will set in for some who realize for the first time how much she impacted their personal lives.

I’ve had many thoughts the last couple of days since I heard the sad news, but one that resonates is the hope that eventually mourners will be given time to sit with grief, even for one whole day, without having to think of the next thing. I am saddened that almost immediately after Ginsburg’s death, news stories and social media were speculating who would fill her place in the Supreme Court, and people were fighting about the process. While I’m sure there are many who paused, media outlets show a picture of a country that has already moved forward in some ways. 

As a nation, we are not taught to grieve at length, even when losses are personal. I won’t say that everyone should respond in the same way after losing someone, but what I’ve seen in my own life is that it isn’t long before people are forced to start checklists - funeral arrangements, the closure of bank accounts, and selling property. Even when we’re on the outside of those processes and systems, many of us don’t know how to reflect within the pain, or mourn with those who mourn.

The people who teach us how to live well only die once, and the first days and weeks following often deserve more space and reverence than is given.

I found a heart today while on a bike ride around my neighborhood. I took a picture and thought of Ginsburg. I thought maybe the cactus was fitting for someone who was fierce about her place in the world, and labored for what she felt was right. I am one of those people who didn’t appreciate her work enough while she was here, but I plan to pause, turn off the news, and learn more about how she can teach me to live a better life for others.