There are some days and times that stand out in my memory that I will always hold dear and never forget.  The night I met my husband, the day I graduated from high school, the day my oldest niece was born as well as the night my first son was born and the morning my youngest son was born.  All happy events.  All life changing events.  

There are other days that I will remember just as well for different reasons.  The day when a girl on the playground asked to see the pin I was wearing and after giving it to her as requested she would not give it back.  I appealed to the teacher on duty but I was not believed.  Her story was taken as the truth and the pin was lost to me forever.  The day the Challenger Space Shuttle broke apart 73 seconds into its flight.  Seven precious lives were lost and the economy of our little town changed for more than two decades.  The day the Twin Towers fell and America realized she was not as invincible as we all thought she was.  The day my dad called and shared with me he had just received a diagnosis of Stage IV liver cancer.  All life changing events.  All days remembered as if yesterday.  All held dear, but not in a celebratory way.

When I heard the news of  Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s passing my first response was ‘Oh no!’ and then the sadness set in.  In a few short hours I realized as well this was going to be another day cataloged in my album of memories.  A snapshot in time that stays with me and can be recalled in an instant.  Recalling not just  the day and the event but where I was and who I was with when I found out.  

And so I began grieving the loss of someone that had made a difference in so many lives.  Ever the champion to make the world a better place for not just people that had power or thought the way she did, but for everyone.  Someone that didn’t circumvent the rules to achieve the end she wanted but abided by them and made them work for her or changed them with the systems in place.  Someone that was a voice for those that didn’t have a voice.  Someone that cared and did the heavy lifting for so many of us that reside in this country by righting the wrongs of incorrectly interpreted rules.    

It broke my heart to read that one of her last wishes was that she not be replaced until a new President was installed.  Now it appears this will not come to fruition despite the objection of many.  But at the very least there is something I can do to thank her for all that she did for me.  For us.   For our country.  I will be a voice asking that her request be respected and honored as she respected and honored so many through her life.  I will be a voice seeking the path forward for the common good and not the benefit of the few.  I will be a voice even in the midst of overwhelming odds fighting for what I believe is right for my family, my community and my country and I will strive to do it as RBG taught us through her actions and her words. ‘Fight for the things that you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you,’  Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 

RIP RBG.  Fly high and thank you.    ~♥~

In our democratic government, one of the most important ways to speak out is by voting.  Below are some links for information about voting in the upcoming election that you may find helpful.  Please research the candidates and issues on the ballot, not just at the Federal level but at your local levels as well before making your choice.  Remember, if you don’t vote, you are letting someone else choose for you.    

https://vote.morningbrew.com/

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/how-to-vote-2020/

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-vote-after-moving-relocating-2020-9