Thank you, Jane

Jane Goodall has left us.

She was an amazing human being, tenacious and brave. She was funny, she was quiet, she was pateint.

Jane embodied hope.

She was about connecting, reaching out to other beings that may not have understood her completely at first, but with her spirit, she gained their trust.

We can all learn from the way she conducted her work and her life. Jane traveled on the road for decades until her death (she died while on the road) after doing her groundbreaking research. Her mission was to spread the word about saving the planet and the animals that live here.

She quietly and persistantly pushed up against a male dominated world, believing in what she could and would do. And she did it and made a huge difference to the planet and to many young girls. Myself included.

“What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” -Jane Goodall

I had two passions growing up. Drawing and nature. I was always drawing but the moment I knew of Jane Goodall, I wanted to be her. She was quiet, I was quiet. She was blonde, I was blonde. She loved animals, I loved animals.

I went to college to study biology, and loved it. But ultimately, drawing took over and while I am still passionate about animals and nature, I became a cartoonist. And I sought to use drawing as a way to make a difference, as Jane told us to do.

For too many years, quiet people have been passed over, not noticed, put to the side, as if their ideas didn’t have weight or something— simply because they said them quietly, or not at all, because we know they won’t get heard. It’s the loud ones that get attention. This is not so true anymore, thankfully. When I was young, I personally benefited from many who listened to me despite my shyness. Maybe Jane helped me keep talking— if quietly and through drawing.

Seeing Jane Goodall become so powerful with such a soft approach and voice emboldened me. When I am asked who my influences are, I always say Jane Goodall.

We live in such a loud world now, so many people yelling and hating. Her life’s example can teach us all about persistence and patience and kindness.

Thank you, Jane.