“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.”
I love this quote by the late Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg aka RBG.
What a wonderful philosophy of life! RBG devoted her life to helping the greater community by fighting for equal rights for women, for members of the LGBTQ, disabled and immigrant communities. Having faced discrimination when she was beginning her legal career, she made it her mission to help secure equality for women. Because of her, women no longer need a male to cosign applications for credit cards, loans or mortgages. Because of her, women can approve, or not, medical treatments, without a male. She fought for equal pay for both women and men.
RBG was a trailblazer her entire life. She was the second woman and the first Jewish woman to serve on the Supreme Court. She was the first tenured female professor at Columbia Law School. She was only the second woman to serve as a law professor at Rutgers University. And even in death, she was the first woman and second Jewish person to lie in state.
What a meaningful life she led. We all would do well to emulate her philosophy of life. If we live a meaningful life, we are likely to feel at peace with ourselves, with those around us, and with the world at large. It doesn't mean we don't have disappointments, struggles and challenges. It doesn't mean that we stop trying to make things better.
RBG flourished in the face of adversity, both personal and cultural. She used her considerable talents -- her intellect, her determination, her understanding of the law, her tenacity, her ability to articulate her beliefs, her incredible work ethic -- to literally change American society for the better.
This tiny woman, who was only 5'1" tall, had a huge impact on American jurisprudence. She was respected and admired by millions, and feared by those against whom she did battle in the courts.
We miss you, RBG.
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