I was about to set my phone to sleep mode on Friday, September 18th and before I did, had one last check on email and social media. I read the sad, sad news about Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death. My Instagram feed was overflowing with gorgeous RBG quotes and photos of her (a sign I’m following the right people!) and as I poured through my feed, my heart was heavy. I didn’t want to believe she was gone.
RBG is one of my sheroes. She had made highly progressive votes on topics like same-sex marriage, abortion rights, affirmative action, and health care. She was such a role model in so many ways. I felt a huge need to watch RBG’s documentary again and get my hands and eyes on anything that could continue to help me learn from her.
I spent the weekend reflecting on her work, her life, and her impact. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was fair, just, and a stellar advocate for equal rights. She fought for people’s rights, equal rights.
“I don’t say women’s rights—I say the constitutional principle of the equal citizenship stature of men and women.”
-Ruth Bader Ginsburg
One of the things about RBG that I found so admirable was the role model she and her husband Marty were for true partnership. Ruth and Marty had what I feel was an ideal partnership. They took care of each other, they supported each other and they lifted each other up.
It’s critical for us to see this and talk about this, as PARTNERSHIP in a relationship is not a novelty, it needs to be the NORM.
Years ago, I remember sitting at lunch with a past teacher and she made a comment that stuck with me/haunted since that day…
Women today are expected to make the bacon, cook the bacon and be the bacon.
When she said this, I laughed, but not in a good way. Anyone who knows me knows I love a good play on words, but I was also angered. Not angry at her, but angry at the harsh truth of this. Women have been granted access to career opportunities far beyond what our grandmothers had access to, but with that, there is often an unspoken societal expectation that with that, women to be everything else too.
I do believe women can have it all, but in relationships, there needs to be equality. There is so much power in partnership.
“Women will have achieved true equality when men share with them the responsibility of bringing up the next generation.”
– Ruth Bader Ginsburg
I have been so fortunate that my wonderful wasband and my darling husband have always been SO supportive of my work. My husband and I have a daughter and we share responsibility. It’s not always easy, but we are very conscious of this and talk a lot about times when I feel overwhelmed. I make a point to have conversations with my daughter where I show her things about how my husband and I share responsibility as parents, homemakers, and as professionals.
We need to discuss partnership, we need to expect it, we need to demand it.
“If you have a caring life partner, you help the other person when that person needs it. I had a life partner who thought my work was as important as his, and I think that made all the difference for me.”
– Ruth Bader Ginsburg
The world is a better place because Ruth Bader Ginsburg was in it. May she rest in power.