Quote #52: Erin Patrice

Hi, I'm Erin Patrice- the creator of The Breaking Bread Village, community advocate, Midland Area Cultural Awareness Coalition member, a servant on the Housing Commission and member of the Midland Area Wellbeing Coalition. A quote that has always resonated with me is, “Differences are not a failure of humanity. Differences are a test of our humanity”- Abhijit Naskar The reason I find this quote so powerful and meaningful for me and the work I do is because it sums it all up. As a society, it seems as though we sometimes feel as though our differences- as a collective- are bad or negative. But they aren’t. This quote reminds me that our differences are here to test us. Test us in the direction for good. Test us to ask the “whys and hows.” They test us to seek answers and understanding. Our differences challenge us to have dialogue- and seek relationships- to better connect rather than cause a bigger divide. This quote supports my wellbeing because I continue to seek understanding rather than make assumptions- regarding people and their actions or beliefs. So, how often do you seek understanding rather than lead with assumptions? How often do you celebrate others' differences? This has been brought to you by the Midland Area Wellbeing Coalition's Quotes to Live By series. Thank you for reading and sharing a little space with me.

Abhijit Naskar