A remarkable woman, Ruth Harkness, embodied what it was to be Gutsy! In 1936, during a time when women were still just coming into their own and fighting for their rights, Ruth committed herself to pick up where her explorer husband left off—an unthinkable journey into the treacherous mountains of Shanghai China to capture a live Panda and bring it back to the United States. She was dauntless and flouted convention. "The human mind is capable of anything—absolutely anything", she believed. She sensed what was right even if it meant hardship. "When you yourself are right, nothing that could ever happen to you can be wrong!" Indeed, there was hardship. Her lack of experience and money, endless mockery from other explorers, and taking on the toughest terrain in the world didn't dissuade Ruth from what she set out to do. She ignored the politics, the villainous rivalry that raced against her, and the utter lack of convention that was the backdrop for one of the most sensational adventures in history. Miraculously, she returned with baby panda, Su Lin, becoming a hero to all.
What makes her extraordinary is that she showed us all that we need to believe in what we know to be true for ourselves. It's not about just pursuing your dream, but the ability to change your course if it isn't a fit. She brought two pandas back to the States, and while she was in China obtaining a third, she realized that taking the pandas out of their natural environment was wrong and so returned them all to China—not an easy task given the area was at war by this time.
May we all find our voice and our passions within and be willing to endure hardship in order to bring those to light!
