Written by: Elizabeth Smith Miller, Director of Marketing and Events, National Safe Place Network

“Quotes.” Such a funny little word, yet “quotes” leave such a significant impression on our lives. Communication is a powerful thing when you think about it. Someone can say a simple sentence and it can evoke emotion and even completely change one’s way of thinking. It’s amazing that a few words can make someone smile, laugh, or cry—those words can really make an impact on the way someone is feeling. If you actively use social media sites, you see quotes every day through “memes” that are shared. Think about the emotions you experience while reading them.

Some of the best quotes are the ones that make you laugh—the ones that are innocent and kind, yet honest and humorous. Oftentimes, these types of quotes come from children. If you’d like to take a brain break and crack a smile—perhaps even laugh—here are “17 Kid Quotes That Will Make You Laugh So Hard You’ll Cry” from The Huffington Post.

To help you get to know your NSPN family a little better, we asked this question: “What is your favorite quote?” Here’s what was shared:

• Laurie Jackson, President/Chief Executive Officer: “There are too many to count—seriously—I don’t have a favorite; I have many favorites.”
• Tammy Hopper, Chief Strategic Initiatives Officer: “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” – Dr. Seuss
• Shauna Brooks, Principal Investigator: “The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off!” – Gloria Steinem
• April Carthorn, General Specialist: “My favorite quote is, ‘This too shall pass.’ I also like the quote, ‘You don’t truly know a person until you know them.’”
• Zach Elmore, Operations Specialist: “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’” – Fred Rogers
• Kim Frierson, Training Specialist: “To me, it’s always a good idea to always carry two sacks of something when you walk around. That way, if anybody says, ‘Hey can you give me a hand?,’ you can say, ‘Sorry, got these sacks.’” – Jack Handey
• Susan Harmon, Director of Safe Place National Operations: “Tomorrow is another day.”
• Rachel Hurst, Development Associate: “I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.” – E. B. White
• Hillary Ladig, Communications Coordinator: “Oh, there are so many! I will always love this one from Maya Angelou: ‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’”
• Autumn Sandlin, Marketing and Communications Intern: "I’m a huge quote person. I’m constantly highlighting, writing down, and folding down the pages of books I read with any quote I like on it. I’ve been reading a lot of memoirs by some of my favorite female comedians lately, so my favorite quote of the moment comes from Mindy Kaling. “If you don’t see a clear path for what you want, sometimes you have to make it yourself.”
• Sabrina Smith, Development Intern: "To be soft is to be powerful." – Rupi Kaur
• Elizabeth Smith Miller, Director of Marketing and Events: “Oh my goodness. I cannot choose just one. I love quotes and asking me to pick my favorite is like asking someone to pick their favorite child. Well . . . I guess with that said, one of my most favorable quotes is an original, which I say quite often. ‘Focus on doing the right thing. At the end of the day, I’m going to rest my head on my pillow knowing I did what’s right.’” – Elizabeth Smith Miller
• Eric Tadatada, Technical Assistance Specialist: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”Learn more about your NSPN family at www.nspnetwork.org/our-team.

  Feel free to leave your favorite quote below! “Sharing is caring.” ☺