Growing a heart takes time

I’ve come to know Jane Goodall recently. She had invested five decades (50 years) of her life to wildlife research, education and conservation of the chimpanzees in Gombe. Gombe is in Africa. Throughout her years of growing up, she had grew to love animals. 

I would like to share part of her story of growing her heart for animals.

On one occasion, Vanne returned home during the war years to find the house curiously empty; everyone, she soon learned, was out searching for young Jane, who at this point had been missing for several hours. 

By seven o’clock that evening, expressions were turning grave. “I don’t remember who saw her first – a small, disheveled figure coming a little wearily over the tussocky field by the hen houses,” Vanne wrote. “There were bits of straw in her hair and on her clothes, but her eyes, dark ringed with fatigue, were shining. ‘She’s found,’ someone called out and soon the searchers were all back and gathered around Jane in the stable yard. 

‘Wherever have you been?’

‘With a hen.’

‘But you’ve been away for nearly five hours. What can you possibly have been doing with a hen all that time?

‘Well, you see, I had to find out how hens lay eggs, so I went into the empty coop and sat in the corner and waited until a hen came in who didn’t mind me there.’

‘So, then what happenened?’

‘A hen came at last.’ Jane’s eyes glowed with inner radiance. 
‘It was a long time, but she came at last and then she laid an egg. I saw her. So now I know how a hen lays an egg.’

 Dusk was fast gathering under the trees as we made out way back to the house. I had Jane firmly by the hand. She had just spent five hours crouched double in a stuffy hen coop, but the result had made it all worthwhile. She had successfully, and to her own entire satisfaction, completed her first animal-research program. She had observed a hen laid an egg.”

I want to highlight Jane’s perseverance, patience and hope, to build that bond with animals. Her heart grew so much for the animals, that investing her life is all worthwhile. I learned and reminded by TWO THINGS.

· To grow a heart for people takes time.
· To build trust from people takes risk and sacrifice.

We can learn so much by observing how nature worked around us. Through that, we also will learn to be better human.

Will we be willing to spend SO MUCH TIME to grow a heart for people? Will we be willing to take the risk of being a listening ear or to even share our lives with people? Will we be willing to sacrifice for people? Will we take that step forward and laid ourselves for people? 

  

How can I grow a heart for people? Start by thinking what is it like in their shoes. Start by listening to them rather than condemning. Start with pure motives to build relationships with people, and to grow a heart that accept diversity and differences.

Maybe when we start to grow a heart for people and maybe when we start to take risks and sacrifices to build trust, then something we will witness something beautiful. Just like Jane, who had witness how a hen lay an egg.

“So, let us move forward with faith in ourselves, in our intelligence, in our indomitable spirit. Let us develop respect for all living things. Let us try to replace violence and intolerance with understanding and compassion. And love.” –Jane Goodall-

(From the book Jane Goodall by Her Mother, Vanne Goodall)

a BETTER of anything.

Often times, when it is the new year, someone's birthday, a person who had just changed job, when you are in a mess, there is one thing we always hope for.

A BETTER __________________________________. 

We desired for a better life, better nation, better working environment, sometimes better friends, better family, better boyfriend/girlfriend, or dare I even say it? A better spouse.

'Better' here is described as a verb. To improve - amend - mend - reform.

To be a better, there's a price to pay. It's not merely just uttering it out with words. The words need to be put into actions. To be a better athlete, there's a need to train. To be a person who watches the language, there's a need to be conscious and to train to hold your tongue when you are about to curse. To be a better boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse, there's a need to learn to be sensitive to the feelings of your closed ones. There's a need to learn to be sensible.

When I was in my University years, I wanted to be a person who have a stronger stamina - a better person at playing sports. I first realized I have a need to do so, when I was playing futsal with my churchmates, only to realize I couldn't keep up with the other players. So, I trained. I woke up earlier, before class, to run few rounds in the court. After class, I ran again in the stadium. Honestly, the first few attempts, I just want to give up and move on with life that I am no good at sports anymore. But, that desire to be better, pushed me to continue my routine. After few weeks, it was not so hard anymore. After a couple of weeks more, I eventually could keep up with the other players when we played futsal. It was a great achievement.

Let's switch our mind to our nation now. We want a BETTER nation. A BETTER MALAYSIA, where peace and harmony roams. But, most of us are being bench warmers. We wait to see a BETTER nation. Friends  it doesn't work that way. If it does, our nation should have already be BETTER. It takes courageous men and women, who would stand and speak for the voiceless. It takes men and women, who are willing to lay aside their pride, ego and self goals. It takes you and me, who are willing to step up and say this is our nation, we are placed here for such a time like this. Wake up, Malaysia need you! (although how cliché it may seems).

My friends stood up for a young girl who were tormented by a group of teenage boys. They were surrounding the poor girl. My friends were in the car, and it was difficult to go down to stop the boys, as there was 15 of them. So, they start making a commotion by pressing the horn of the car. Eventually, the teenage boys left. They walked away laughing and feeling proud (their actions speaks). But, that day, my friends stood up for the girl, though they were strangers. That day, my friends chose to be the helping hand towards a stranger.

If you called yourself a Malaysian, better wake up and live like a malaysian. A true Malaysian is one that do not see colors, hospitable heart and willing to lend a helping hand anywhere. That's a Malaysian. 

Every blocks represents you and I.
Though we are diverse in cultures and languages, we must embrace the diversity to find unity among ourselves.
You and I are different.
It's in this diversity, we find unity!