Ruthie. You mean so much to each of us, and to all of us at once. Your perception was uncanny—you saw things in others that they didn’t yet see in themselves. You were a world class storyteller, and an equally gifted listener, taking it all in, the spoken and the unspoken, with what felt like every cell of your body. You were the world’s greatest cheerleader, finding full and equal joy in the joy of others, and helping us straighten our crowns when we stumbled. To me, you will always be the reigning queen of the Shakespearean aside, hilariously getting me (and many others) through countless meetings and encounters.
We became fast friends. When we lived a few blocks from each other, we’d curl up on your couch watching The West Wing every week, wishing Jed Bartlett was really our President, and then rejoicing together when our prayers were answered, only better! For all the time we spent together teaching, working, scheming, I cherish most the time shared just the two of us—telling stories back and forth, unpacking the day, or saying nothing at all. I’m certain we all do.
You taught me not to fill my workday with meetings, to create breathing room, so that I would have time to reflect and process. You taught me the quiet subversion of finding a way to do what you know is right, because the naysayers will eventually come around. You taught me patience with people who make assumptions based on whatever prejudices life slipped into their lenses. You taught me how to navigate bureaucratic nonsense with equal parts compassion and zero tolerance. You taught me how to listen harder in the empty spaces, because therein lies the secret.
You had the clairvoyance, wisdom, and wit of someone who had seen it all and then some. You embraced us all with one hand for support, the other pointing to the stars. You were both incredibly human and superhuman. Your lessons live in my heart, my outlook, and my actions forever. How lucky we all are to have known you, and how deeply you are loved and missed.
Rest in peace, my colleague, my mentor, my friend. ❤️