Millions of people around the world are mourning the loss of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who tirelessly fought for gender equality with grace and strength. The world is figuratively and literally on fire. This is not the first time humanity has self-combusted, but in the effort to not allow history to repeat itself, what can we do? How can we humans increase our empathy, generously give in spite of our own ego, and attempt to deeply understand that which we do not know? I have so many questions.
Last night while watching the series premiere of Ratched, one quote stuck out to me. “Save one life and you’re a hero, save 100 lives and you're a nurse.” While this is clever and true, I am not a nurse. What does this mean for me, for all of us? What if we stretched out our arms a little further to reach just one other person? What if we did this without the bells and whistles of heroism? What would it feel like to save (or spare) the life of someone who is not like you, or who may even have hurt you? How do we learn to make empathetic choices and cause no harm? How do we engage in conversations around the worthiness of an individual’s life when it comes to public policy? How can we be more like Ruth Bader Ginsburg?
To me, connection, listening, and understanding are the beginning of rebuilding a world out of balance. I hope I can open the door if but a crack to invite more openness, honesty, and healing in.