Stay-at-home dad, Ryan Park, once had the honor of working under Ruth Bader Ginsburg and just gave us another reason to love the Supreme Court Justice. Ginsburg is only the second female Justice that America has seen (Sandra Day O’Connor was the first), and has taken tremendous action for women’s rights in her lifetime, by overcoming societal barriers and actively creating gender equality through U.S. law.
The entire Atlantic article is definitely worth a read, but the gist is that Park took some lessons from Ginsburg’s life choices while working as her clerk. The Justice supported her husband Marty through his cancer (at the time, they were both attending Harvard Law, and Ginsburg helped him with his coursework), and Marty in turn aided his wife’s career later in their lives by embracing domestic responsibilities. The Justice recently told Katie Couric:
You can’t have it all all at once. Over my lifespan, I think I have had it all, but in given periods in time, things were rough. And if you have a caring life partner, you help the other person when that person needs it.
Park notes that the most valuable advice he gleaned from Ginsburg was also the most seemingly basic– essentially, to balance career and family life, one must “be a good partner” and “take breaks.” Drawing inspiration from this attitude, Park felt confident to quit his job and care for his toddler while allowing his wife to focus on her career as a pediatrician. Now, he’s publicly breaking down the myth that it’s not just women who feel compelled to spend long hours with their kids, and encouraging a more open-minded understanding of parenthood. Way to inspire, Ginsburg. Your lessons of equality reach far and wide.
Image via Huff Post
