People are fascinating. It’s always been an amazing fact that — aside from identical twins — God managed to create a system in which no two of us are alike.

We all look different, millions of different combinations of noses, eyes, ears, skin and teeth.

But it’s not just the physical attributes that are different, our minds, our experiences and our hearts make each of us unique on the inside, too.

How is that some people can be endearing to us, while others can be the human equivalent of fingernails raked down a chalkboard?

We’re often quick to remember those “chalkboard” chums who annoy us, but life is more fun, more livable when you consider those truly rare people of endearment.

You know, the ones who affect our lives in uniquely positive ways. Sure, we all fall in love, but that’s not what I’m talking about this morning, I’m talking about people who, just by your knowing them, change your life.

This person can be a teacher, a coach, or perhaps a mentor or even a boss.

For me, one of these special people was all four of those to me. I’m talking, of course, about a long-time newspaperwoman and friend, Joan Gandy.

Thousands of our readers read Joan’s insights, thoughts and opinions for years and years in her columns published on these pages.

My first interaction with Joan was on the very first day I came to Natchez bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and hopeful someone would hire me to work for their newspaper.

Fortunately for me, Joan hired me on the spot.

I’ll forever be grateful to her for that first bit of confidence she put in me.

I quickly learned that I didn’t know as much about newspapers that I thought I did.

In no time, Joan began what became a multi-year lesson in life, humanity and newspapers.

As my mind wanders back through time, it’s difficult to remember all of the lessons she taught me — and countless others who have worked at The Natchez Democrat during her time there.

Joan and I have worked together for years. We’ve both been fortunate enough to be invited into readers’ homes, into their lives and have been lucky enough to be able to get to know the great people of Natchez through the newspaper.

She managed to gingerly convince this once-young (and haired) photographer that he could still learn a few things here and there.

Joan is someone who has lived her life in Natchez, part of that long, fascinating life, involved the newspaper. She never — at least to my knowledge — took a class in journalism, yet she’s probably forgotten more about newspapers than I’ll ever hope to know.

You see the secret to Joan’s success is her amazing ability to understand and communicate with people.

Through the years, I’ve witnessed Joan helping to steer people down the road of life. She’s been there to provide an ear for troubled readers looking for answers.

She’s been there to dozens of budding young journalists who come to town with heads filled with journalism-school lessons, but desperate for some real-life understanding.

Young, old, black, white, rich, poor, Joan has an uncanny ability to community across the lines that often divide us and instantly connect to the humanity.

As many of you probably read several days ago in a gracious column she wrote, Joan is leaving the newspaper to attend seminary in Atlanta.

It is, as she wrote, a new chapter in her fascinating, benevolent life.

And, as Joan wrote, her departure from this newspaper and from Natchez is not a goodbye; it’s just a new chapter, a new lesson in life.

God may have made us all different, but the world would be a better place if we were all a little more like Joan.

Kevin Cooper is publisher of The Natchez Democrat. He can be reached at 601-445-3539 or kevin.cooper@natchezdemocrat.com.