Planting the Seed: Ruth Bader Ginsburg
(Read through to see which new chicken we named after RBG!)
The night I learned that Ruth Bader Ginsburg died, I stood in the kitchen of my friend’s house with another friend, after we shared a meal to celebrate the Jewish new year. We three women talked about our work, our relationships, the need to be kind to ourselves. While we talked, I marveled at the moment. We three women are entrepreneurs, dedicated partners, active in our communities, diligent about finding inspiration and trying to stay resilient in a time that constantly tests us. As we stood there, I thought about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and how she paved the way for that moment. She showed us the importance of being in the room, being not just a witness, but an active participant in changing the world by showing up in our relationships, our careers and in our communities.
As a Jewish woman, RBG’s success holds even more weight for me. My own mother worked her tail off to support our family, the first woman in her family to work outside the home full time. RBG was a loving mother, a dedicated partner, an advocate for humanity, a resilient fighter and an inspiration whose legacy will have unending ripple effects. She accomplished this by staying true to her spirit and putting in the time to live authentically.
Like we do all women in our society, we asked too much of RBG. We pleaded for her to hold on until the scourge of this administration ended. Her departure leaves us with yet another lesson; it’s not the work of one that saves us, it’s the cooperation of a nation, a community, who will right this ship. I know those of you still reading are wondering what this has to do with gardening.
We three women who stood in that kitchen on Friday night are also gardeners. I think tending to soil, seeds and plants gives people are certain perspective that can be practiced every single day of the year. We find refuge from the world in our gardens, we find lessons about life there, and we learn that time, diligence and consistency results in actual, satisfying fruit of our labor.
God knows that this chapter in our history isn’t over, and we need to find space to rebuild our strength to push through to the other side. I feel so much gratitude for the work of women like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and I’m determined to not let it be in vain. I hope that this week you can find healing in your garden. That’s where I’ll be.
We named one of our new hens after RBG. She’s pictured here on the left. She has a white collar different from the other hens, and she seems to be the first to try everything. I can’t imagine a better name for her!