Hi, everyone.
First- I want to say thank you so very much to everyone who has reached out to us with a kind message, loving comment, or respectful note of support. It has been truly heartwarming to see the amount of people all over the world who love Jody, her family, and CSNW. Thank you.
To say this has been a difficult time is an understatement. When I sat down to write the blog last Thursday I wrote about how lovely of a day we were having here- after a forage on Young’s Hill and some sunshine, we were all in good spirits. I had no idea things would change so quickly- none of us did. I have a lot of thoughts and feelings about saying goodbye to Jody, but words won’t ever do it all justice. Having the opportunity to be her friend, to love her, to know her, to say goodbye, and to watch her family say goodbye– there’s too much love and sadness in all those things to capture.
Yesterday, I was talking with Caregiver Katelyn about how grief is a natural continuation of loving someone- you can’t have one without the other. And, in it’s own way, grief is a little voice that lets us know that the love we had for that individual while they were with us is still there, even though they are gone. The fact that we are all grieving so intensely for Jody indicates just how much we love her.
Jody- how fiercely we all love you.
We learn so many things from the chimps here every day, but Jody taught me to always make sure your family is safe- whether that means keeping a watchful eye on them as they wander down their own path or being there for support as they venture somewhere new. She taught me to enjoy kicking back in a nice big nest and, if someone needs you to move, to carry that nest with you for ultimate comfort at your next location. She taught us to enjoy the food we eat and to make sure everyone knows it’s delicious by making loud dinosaur noises. She taught me to not put up with eating something you don’t like and, if possible, to spit it back out on the person who dared to serve it to you to begin with (maybe the more entertaining lesson to learn). Finally, in her passing she has taught me to enjoy every moment we have with them here in sanctuary and, if that means the daily tasks get done a little later, then so be it. Moments are precious.
I have found myself lately going through all the photos and videos I have on my phone, to find peace and solace in the memories I have of Jody. So many of them I had forgotten about and seeing them again made me smile, so I wanted to share them with you all today. They’re short clips with no real thread tying them together- only sweet Jo.
Fifteen years of sanctuary in your almost 48 years on this earth, Jody. You will live on in all of us and we will continue to tell the world about you.
Love and miss you, always.
To live in this world
you must be able
to do three things:
to love that is mortal;
to hold it
against your own bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to
let it go,
to let it go.
Mary Oliver
P.S. It’s tough to mention right now, but today is the last day of GiveBIG. Your donations go directly to the care of our residents and every dollar truly matters. If you feel so inclined, please consider donating to help us reach our goal. Thank you.
What a beautiful compilation .. thanks Diana. Sending healing thoughts to all of you. How are the chimps doing?
They’re doing okay, grieving in their own way!
Has it been a bit more quiet? (although I feel like you guys had a late night)
Im not sure if Im doing this correctly but anyway.I have still not been able to watch the video ” Saying Goodbye “!I loved Jo like so many others. my heart is truly broken. I wish you all love and light. I feel a little better knowing that sweet Jody is out there in the universe watching over us all.
I agree Kristin….. LOVE lives on …..it never leaves……. there is the peace that we will meet again …….I just know Jody is planning a giant reunion:hugging: I can’t wait until we are consumed in her colossal embrace
Reply
The loss of a beautiful person like Jody is especially hard. When someone makes such a huge impact on our lives, we feel it more, we grieve more, and we love more going forward. Thank you for letting Jody be who she was for the past 15 years. I cannot think of her life before. Just the happy memories she created at sanctuary. It’s easier that way. Bless you all and bless our beloved Jody who is resting in the sweetest peace.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and sending reminder videos of beautiful Jody.
Thank you, Grace. ?
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Thank you, Grace, for making me laugh, reminding me of the joy that’s also part of grieving, reminding me that Jody brought many things into our lives. Lovely post.
And how perfect to end with a Mary Oliver poem.
My heart truly aches for all of you there. Your loss is evident by your words, images and friends that share your hearts. Thank you for sharing your beautiful family.
(IDK whether we don’t see our own posts or what. So here I am again.)
Lovely blog, Grace, and thank you for making me laugh, such a fitting way to celebrate Sweet Jody. And how perfect to include a Mary Oliver Poem.
when you first post it, you won’t see it. you have to refresh the page. if it refreshes and takes you to the top of the blog post, then just click on comments, and usually you can see it then
I thank you for sharing how the chimps said their goodbyes. It really touched my heart that they were given closure and how the staff was there to support and share the experience. It says alot about the people who staff there. I thank everyone there for the love and empathy given to all the chimps in the sanctuary You have raised the bar on how they should be treated.
A truly beautiful being has passed from this earth, but not from our hearts and memories. We will meet in the sweet by and by. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. The work goes on, but take time to heal.
That was a beautiful video Grace. Thank you for sharing it with us and for sharing your grief. I’ve been surprised by how heartbroken I feel over Jody’s passing, knowing that I’ve only known her through the words, pictures and videos shared on the blog. I haven’t even been following the sanctuary as long as so many others, as I didn’t learn of it’s existence until 2019. Knowing how this has made me feel, I imagine the grief that all of you at the sanctuary must be feeling is ten-fold. You continue to be there every day and have to feel the absence of her presence. You don’t get to just decide to “take a break” to grieve. Thank you so much for everything you have all done over the years to bring light, happiness and love into the lives of the chimps. We can never make up for the atrocities that were done to them in the past, but we can give them the best life we possibly can for as long as we can. And thank you for being there with sweet JoJo in her final days and hours. I believe she knew she was safe and loved and that she could cross the rainbow bridge with peace. She is pain-free now and I imagine she is getting to forage, harvest and nest to her hearts content. Love and hugs to you all!
I agree Kristin….. LOVE lives on …..it never leaves……. there is the peace that we will meet again …….I just know Jody is planning a giant reunion:hugging: I can’t wait until we are consumed in her colossal embrace
She’s saving a place at the table up there for the Big Man
😀
To Jody’s loving family at CSW I just want to say Thank You, Thank You, Thank You for pouring out your lives to provide a loving, wholesome home for all who come through you doors and truly find sanctuary there. You walked Jody home so beautifully. Our hearts are bound to her memory, but lovely Jo is Free. Grief is the price of love and you my dear, are worth every penny.
I want to thank whoever created this beautiful video. Having read the descriptions of yesterday’s “And So We Say Goodbye”, I don’t have a need to view it. Rather, I wish to remember our dear Jody in other ways, such as the images seen in this video.
Thank you for the mandolin music and the poem by the Sanctuary’s poet laureate. Indeed, as I mourn in these particular “Days of Awe”, I think of Jody in the words chanted in the Kaddish. “How marvelous are Thy works…”.
Jody’s life, and our memories of her beauty and spirit, is a blessing.
Thank you, Grace, for sharing these lovely, happy memories. I am deeply sorry you can no longer see your friend first thing every morning. Why not greet her quietly every day in your own way, I’m sure she’ll take note.
I was fortunate enough to see Jody at the sanctuary. Meaningful and wondrous at the time, but now, so much more so. Walking (with boot!) and hanging out with Jamie, watching an epic tug-chase between J.B. and ridiculous Burrito, and Negra clapping for her nut bag mid-meal are experiences I will never, ever forget. Jody had a presence that was more subtle. She foraged on the hill, groomed her family in a big circular grooming cluster up high in the outdoor enclosure, and she always politely lined up for mealtime crunching her food (sadly, no dinosaur moans for me). No flash, just a sweetness. Jody is so beautiful to see, her eyes!
I am so thankful for those memories of Jody and her family. I am also very thankful for this blog. I came to know Jody through your stories and videos. Fortunately I can still check in and see Jody abscond with the annual Jamieween Great Pumpkin or watch her forage the hill with arms and mouth packed full of cattails, banana leaves, produce, or flowers. No, it’s not the same as seeing her in new unimagined adventures but I am grateful you have documented the chimps, year after year, day after day, because now these posts hold a deeper, very precious meaning.
Keeping everyone in my thoughts…..
It’s with both gratitude and sorrow that I think of Jody and her entire family at CSNW, chimps and people both. I’m so glad I was able to spend “time” with her and her family via this heartfelt blog every day and to watch her explore the outdoor areas for forage that she would bring back in armfulls all smiles and eagerness. I keep thinking of the images of her group’s respectful and gentle farewell to her physical presence that was shared with us and I’m so glad I had a chance to participate in that event as an observer. I’m also grateful for this entire community of people whose respect and appreciation for these chimps’ beings are so alive and heartfelt. I’ve been looking at Jody’s picture with the lilacs a lot today and each time I tearfully chuckle at her joy. What a gift her presence remains.
Such a beautiful post, Grace. I was telling my son today about Jody, and how deeply Jody’s death has affected me. And how I’ve grown to know and love these intelligent, sentient, individual chimpanzees. Through the daily blog posts, they have become friends. My friend, Jody, I will miss you tremendously.
I’m just opening my computer to FB and am reading about the passing of Jody [JoJo] I am in shock and heartbroken. My condolences to the Chimp family and the staff and friends of both. Beautiful tribute to her. :cry::pray:
I stared at this blue rectangular “writre a comment” space yesterday for what seemed like a half hour after watching the farewell video, choked up, stommach aching and eyes filled. I couldn’t find the words then and here i am a day later still not able to express how sad I feel. So many beautiful tributes were posted and I could agree with all (except for the person who said the wake should not have been posted) so I guess everything that was said by others is my exact feelings as well. And to JB I thank you for allowing us to be present at the wake with the video you shared with us. As “family” we needed to see it, so thank you for including us.
Thank you, Grace-everytime I have watched your video, the smiles help to wipe away the tears-:)
Today, as with yesterday, i have cried. Tears of sadness, tears of joy, tears of loss, tears of happiness, but overall tears of love. The loss of a loved one, a loved one who is your friend, your sister, your family, is always hard no matter if you ard human or chimp, who are our relatives, the loss for that moment in time makes you want to scream at the world to tell it to stop and grieve with us on our loss. But, the world keeps turning as does life, but in no shape of form does this mean we forget, because we dont, not by a long shot, we will always and forever grieve in our hearts for a beautiful life cut short. But, as life goes on, even though we are still grieving, we will start to smile again, we will start to laugh, we will continue to love. Love for someone never stops when they leave us, it just continues in everything we do and in everytime we pass a photo, or smile at a memory, love will be there. Jody was and stll is a beautiful soul, whos love for her family and friends will continue on throught them all without distingushing between human and chimp, you are ALL her family. With our love being sent to you all, and with a smile and a nod to Jody, run free.
Thank you for that beautiful and touching video Grace. It made me smile and laugh and cry again. So many people have said it so eloquently, how we will miss Jody, and how much you are all in our thoughts and we cherish our memories of dear Jody. I agree with those lovely sentiments and I am so thankful for this blog – this is like my support group and it helps to hear from others and share our thoughts, and to know others are missing Jody so deeply as well and to keep supporting each other with our words and thank you to everyone at the Sanctuary for all you have done and all you do each day. Sending love and hugs to you all and to Jody?
Thank you for sharing Jody’s life and passing with us, she was beautiful and I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to know her.
Deep grief, a symptom of Great Love. My heart breaks for all of you! There will be a time, I believe, that we’ll be able to actually hug Jody and rest in a nest with her. In the mean time I’m sending virtual hugs to Annie, Burrito, Foxie, Jamie, Missy & Negra. And for all you humans, Thank You so so very much!