Justice Richard Bernstein became the first blind justice, elected by voters statewide, to the Michigan Supreme Court where he has served for nearly 8 years. He is also an advocate for persons with disabilities and Veterans. In addition he is an Iron Man and marathon runner. Listen in as we talk about his life and the positive impacts his service has had on so many.
Justice Richard Bernstein became the first blind justice, elected by voters statewide, to the Michigan Supreme Court where he has served for nearly 8 years. He is also an advocate for persons with disabilities and Veterans. In addition he is an Iron Man and marathon runner. Listen in as we talk about his life and the positive impacts his service has had on so many.
Description
Me You Us, sponsored by Consumers Energy, dives deeper into the physical, financial, emotional, social, and professional pillars that make up our overall well-being and contribute to our mental health. Through the sharing of personal experiences and conversations with industry experts, we can collaboratively support one another and increase our consideration for the personal well-being of those around us.
Justice Richard Bernstein became the first blind justice, elected by voters statewide, to the Michigan Supreme Court where he has served for nearly 8 years. He is also an advocate for persons with disabilities and Veterans. In addition he is an Iron Man and marathon runner. Listen in as we talk about his life and the positive impacts his service has had on so many.
William Krieger
Hello everyone and welcome to Me You Us, a wellbeing podcast. It's another wellbeing Wednesday here at Consumers Energy. And I'm your host Bill Krieger. Today I have a very special guest, Justice Richard Bernstein of the Michigan Supreme Court. And also, I'll be recording from the Supreme Court building. So let's get the conversation started. Welcome, everybody to the podcast. Today we are actually broadcasting from the Supreme Court courtroom. My guest is justice Richard Bernstein, very honored to have you here, sir. And if you would introduce yourself, we'll get the conversation started.
Justice Bernstein
Well, sure, I am so excited to be with you today. And just want to tell you, it's such a pleasure to have you here in the courtroom at the Hall of Justice. And I just would love to have the opportunity just to introduce myself to the audience, because that's what I love about this podcast is you really get to learn about people and their stories. And so I am blind. And I have been blessed. I've had the opportunity of serving on the Supreme Court of the state of Michigan for now, nearly eight years. But the thing that I would say I am the most excited about outside of working as a judge is athletics. And I've had the opportunity of completing 25 marathons, and a full Ironman competition. And for those who aren't familiar, an Ironman's a 2.4-mile swim, followed by 112-mile bike to be completed by a 26.2-mile run. And what I love about my work, and what I love about the state of Michigan, is the people were kind enough to give me the opportunity to serve them in this position. And every day when I come to work, I've always come to believe that we're given our life experiences for a reason. And that God gives us challenge adversity and hardship so that we can use it to have an impact, and do something great, that's going to affect other people. So the reason I love serving as a judge, is because I believe as a blind person who comes to know and appreciate what it means to struggle, that you can use those experiences and those hardships and those challenges that come from the experiences that God gives us to have an impact in a profound way on the lives of those that you serve.
William Krieger
Thank you for that. And you know, we were talking just as we were getting set up here. And I was telling you that I had read your bio, I, you know, I've heard you speak. And the first thing that came to mind was what an amazing human being. And that is all without even the thought of you did all of this and you're blind, right? Because quite frankly, I'm not sure I like to drive 26 miles, I can't imagine running 26 miles. So that's just an incredible feat all in itself. What was it like to prepare for and be in an Ironman?
Justice Bernstein
Well, I think just seeing because that's why I'm such a fan of Consumers is because you know your company has done a lot of great things for people with disabilities. And I think what Consumers has realized is what the Ironman teaches is that folks with disability, whether physical or cognitive, have one thing that ties them all together. They have a resilience; they have a strength. And they really do as we were talking about prior, understand what it means to struggle. And when you can live your life with that sense of passion, and purpose, and mission and understanding and appreciating why you were created and what you were ultimately sent to do. It gives you the chance to have an incredibly meaningful and productive life, because you understand why you're created and what you're set here to ultimately do. And I share that story with you because, you know, as we were saying prior the Ironman is a 2.4-mile swim, followed by 112-mile bike to be completed by a 26.2-mile run. Now the rules of the competition are quite simple. If you stop if you rest, if you take a break, you run the risk of missing a cut off and if you miss a cut off, you will be immediately disqualified from the competition. If you finish at 12:05 instead of 12 o'clock, it is like you were never even there. Two years of effort work and training will literally be for nothing. So I want the audience to picture if they would Feeling you would have as you dive into a frigid body of water. Now the water temperature that morning of Lake Quarterlane was 55 degrees. Now imagine swimming in total darkness. You don't have any idea where you started. You don't have any idea where you're going. And you don't have any idea where you are. Being the only blind competitor, you repeatedly get kicked in the face by all the other swimmers. But since you can't see you can't brace for the impact. And lastly, other tours become entangled and ensnared in the rope that connects you to your guide. And as they become ensnared and entangled, the rope becomes constrictive. And as the rope constricts, it starts to take you below the surface. So the harder you attempt to push forward and the harder you attempt to stay above the water, the faster you get dragged down by the rope that is now intertwined with other swimmers. And I think the reason I share this story with you is because in life, there are certain things that you just have to want. And I desperately wanted to be an Ironman. But I think what you find, which is what Consumers has found, when they give people a chance, people who are different people who don't fit in people who struggle people who face adversity, people who have disabilities, you come to find one common theme. And I think the Ironman and the 25 marathons really tend to show that. You tend to find that for many of us, our bodies are mortal. And we have infirmities. But what you find when you work with the disabled when you work with the challenged, is that our spirits and our souls, literally know, no limitations. The body is mortal. But the spirit is all powerful. And it's always those who have mortal and infirm bodies, who have the strongest and most powerful of spirits.
William Krieger
So just letting that sink in for just a moment, it makes it makes total sense, because when we began our employee resource group called capable for those with disabilities are those that are differently abled, you were there for the kickoff.
Justice Bernstein
It was a great event with the lieutenant governor. That was a fabulous event. It was a wonderful event; we have to do that again. Because it was such a tremendous event. And it was, I just think Consumers should be so proud of the work that it's doing. And I think the people that work at Consumers should feel really proud that they're part of something, an organization, a company that is doing something really great.
William Krieger
You know, when we talked about doing this podcast today, this was just on Monday, we were at the MI Hidden Talent conference. And your condition was that we do it in person. And then And then we talked about doing another capable event in I remember that condition being we had to do it in person. So I sensed a bit of a theme there. And I want to talk a little bit about that. Because I know that the past few years have been very difficult for people. The isolation, yes, the restrictions, yes. Or the inability to do things that we would normally do on a normal day. Yes. And then you and I were talking about this and you. You said yes, but and the “but” was if I'm a person with a disability, I'm already isolated. Correct? Right. And this is further isolation. Absolutely. So can you talk a little bit about what that was like for you? And then I want to talk about the resistance?
Justice Bernstein
Absolutely, yes. So I like to say that I'm part of the resistance. And what that really means is, it is absolutely time for everyone to come back in person. It is absolutely critical. And I like to tell people look, it's time for trains to roll. It's time for buses to hit the road. It's time for people to come back into cities, back into communities. But what is important is that we have to do everything in person. Absolutely critical. We have to turn off Zoom, and we got to rip off the mask. And the reason that this is so critical is that people have to be together. And I want to tell you something, I know how serious and significant and how dangerous COVID is had five good friends that I lost the COVID. So I understand and appreciate and respect the seriousness of COVID. Having said that, you have to come back, and things have to be in person. Because we are meant to be in person. You can no longer have cities that are empty. You can no longer have offices that don't have people we have To be together; we have to be in person, I want to start seeing and being part of offices that are filled with life. Because everything we do as humans, involves the relationships that we have with people. And I think the key to it is that for someone like myself, who is blind, it's impossible to function in the world without being with people, community is life and life is ultimately the community. We're just meant to be together. And so I think that the way that you have to kind of look at this is, especially if you're trying to approach this from like a disabilities model is, is that and I've always done disability rights work, this has been my life's passion. And it's been my overall life's calling and life's work. But the key is, is that the default must be in person. Work should be in person, court should be in person, events should be in person, anything and everything must be in person, default, must be in person. The accommodation, for folks that have concern should be Zoom, or virtual. So the idea being is that everything we do, should always be in person. But if there are people that have concern, or if there are people that require an accommodation, the accommodation, meaning that if someone is concerned about being in person, the accommodation would be that we can allow you to do a virtual period, right. But what we can't do anymore, is allow for Zoom and virtual to be our default, that has to end. And the reason why that has to end is it doesn't work. It just doesn't work. And I can speak to this from a judicial perspective, which is in the position I'm in on the Supreme Court. It is critical that we have engaged conversations, we are literally making decisions that affect people's entire lives. And what happens when you do something on Zoom, you don't have the personal connection. Right? You don't have the How are you doing? I heard that your dad is struggling. Or I heard that your kid scored the winning goal, the soccer match, or I heard that, you know, you're doing great hockey, or you know, you don't, you don't have that interpersonal connection, you don't have those conversations. And what happens when you do things virtually, is you forget why you care about people. You forget why you like people, you forget why these people matter to you, you know, you forget all of that. And when you forget that you actually are friends with these folks that you work with. And when you forget why you like them, and why you care about them, and why they mean so much to you. People get angry with each other, they get frustrated with each other, they get short tempered with each other. Because they've lost that connection. It doesn't work, interpersonal relationships matter. They're important, they are absolutely significant. I am praying that all companies and corporations are getting folks back into the office, I am praying that people will start playing ball again and going to concerts and being in large venues. I am praying that basically, we will come back to life, because we simply need to. And I am praying that when we go to beautiful cities, that these magnificent towers that allow for us to dream and for allow for us to vision and for allow for us to have that idealism and excitement and energy and spirit and vitality towards life. I'm praying that we will have these magnificent offices that we've built, have be teeming with life with people and energy and spirit and vitality. But I am praying that we will come back together again. And I am praying that we will do things only and exclusively in person, the way that we were created and the way that God intended.
William Krieger
I think what you're saying is that there will be those times and there will be some people who may not be able to do this in person. But for all of us that can and are willing and able that we should be able to.
Justice Bernstein
Correct the emphasis needs to be that everyone needs to be in person and that we do what we've always done, which is if people need to be accommodated, you accommodate them by allowing them to work virtually.
William Krieger
And I understand a lot of that comes from your experience here on the court, when you talk about how Zoom doesn't necessarily work for everybody, from a blind person's perspective, can you share the story that you were sharing earlier with the group that was in here about what that was like for you, as a Supreme Court justice to try and navigate that?
Justice Bernstein
Absolutely well, so I'm not able to use Zoom. Because you just can't, you don't know where to look, it just doesn't work. Right. So you need help with it. So for me, what I would do throughout the pandemic is I would come into the courtroom. And I would sit by myself here in the courtroom, and one of our wonderful technicians at the court, and they would come and set you up on Zoom, they would get you all set up, and help you kind of with the Zoom process, but I wasn't able to just simply get on Zoom, by myself, I had to have help, you know, being on Zoom, I would come into the office. So I could participate, I don't think people realize that there's a large number of folks in society that are simply unable to use Zoom, they just can't do it. And they are required to be in person in order to function. But also, it really goes to the bigger essence of it, which is, the entire way I understand and appreciate the world is through human relationships, like my entire understanding of the world, is through people, the way I understand everything about the world comes exclusively in solely through people. That's how I understand and appreciate just everything about the universe is through people's interpretations or kind of the interactions I have with other folks. So when you take that away from people, you're basically taking them out of the world. And the reason I'm fighting so hard to get everything back in person is because for somebody like myself, I'm literally fighting for my own existence. If I can't get people to come back in person and start living again in person and doing things again, in person, my very existence is really going to be minimized. Because I won't really have a place in the world unless we're able to function in person.
William Krieger
And that goes back to our overall personal wellbeing and really our mental health. And you have talked about losing friends to COVID. And you've had COVID yourself. But you've also talked about having lost more friends to suicide because of these restrictions rather than having lost them to COVID. So can you track a little bit about that?
Justice Bernstein
A lot of the folks, unfortunately, a number of people that I know, within the disabled community, due to the restrictions, not due to COVID, but due to the restrictions took their lives. And the reason was, was that it was the inability to be part of the world. And it was that lack of being with people, that complete total isolation, you know, that sense of, of not belonging, you know, I would be on the phone. And there were days I'd probably talk to 50 people 60 people on the phone, but you still didn't feel human connection, just because you're on the phone with somebody didn't give you any kind of connection whatsoever. You have to be in people's presence, you have to be next to them, and they have to be next to you, in order for you to really just feel it and live it and experience it and know it. And, you know, quite candidly, yeah, there were a lot of folks with disabilities that it got so difficult, the isolation, you know, everything was taken from them, and they weren't interacting with folks. And then there were a number of folks who are hearing impaired, that, you know, on top of that, need to read lips, and because of all the masking, they weren't able to read people's lips. And so ultimately, their isolation went to the most extraordinary levels, you can imagine. You've had situations where folks that were already struggling with isolation, were made to be more isolated.
William Krieger
Thank you for being willing to share all of that, because I know that that's probably not easy to talk about. But I think it's important.
Justice Bernstein
A lot of good people are no longer with us because they took their lives because of the isolation that took place during COVID. And these are good people that we lost. And these were otherwise healthy people. So they didn't die COVID They died of the isolation because of the restrictions. And the reason I share that is because people have to recognize that and respect that and they have to respect the fact that you know, for the people that need to be in person, you have to respect that and allow for them to be in person. If there are people that choose not to be in person. We respect that too.
William Krieger
Really what I'm hearing is that that mutual respect, right? We're, we're coming out of the pandemic, we're getting back together. If I'm in a group of people and some people want to wear masks. The mask is not a problem. No problem. I personally don't wear one now, you know, for me, it's not necessary. But for other people, it may be so.
Justice Bernstein
And people that's the issue. So you opt in, right? If that's what you want to do, then please, by all means, do what makes you comfortable. But, what we need to really do though is you can no longer tell people that really desperately want to be in person. If you don't want to go to an event and you choose not to go to an event. That's your absolute right, Yogi Berra had a great I always love Yogi Berra, his great statement, he always said, if people don't want to come out to the ballpark, there's nothing you can do to stop them. Meaning look, if you want to, if there's an event and you're not uncommon, you're uncomfortable going to it, then by all means that you should use a Zoom option, right? If you feel that, hey, this is an event that I feel is too high risk, it's got 1000s of people, and I'm just not comfortable going, then there will always be that Zoom option that you can that you can take advantage of. But the difference here is that, for those that want to go and want to participate in need to participate, you have to allow them to do that. For those that don't wish to or feel too concerned about it, I totally get it. I totally respect it. But the key is both sides have to respect. So the idea is that if you don't wish to attend, because you are concerned about it, I get that. But you still have to let me live my life in person because I need to.
William Krieger
I understand that, especially through talking with you. I do want to shift gears a little bit here. And we were talking also about those moments in life, where we are able to see the impact that we've had on others, and you've been a champion. For those with disabilities. That's been your whole life.
Justice Bernstein
Yes, I hope so. I hope it's made a difference. I hope something good has happened as a result.
William Krieger
Well, that's my question like, can you think of a time where you were actually able to have that, that “It's a Wonderful Life” moment where you got to see the result of some work that you've done?
Justice Bernstein
You know, it's interesting, before I became a judge, my passion was representing Paralyzed Veterans. That's what I did. I did all pro bono never charged for that presentation. And I would take on cases that most firms would never touch because they were too expensive. But I did this work because I really believed in it. And I really believe that it could impact and affect people in a positive way. And I would say that, you know, look, I'm always on to the next thing, right? My job is so intense and so challenging. And the hours are so prolonged, and literally like I spend 12 to 15 hours a day working. And, you know, it's interesting, because, you know, every Wednesday, I have to do conference. And there's always 25 cases on the conference agenda that you're responsible for. And you know, you can't put those cases into Braille, because it's too voluminous and you can't use your computer, because then you're not interacting with your colleagues. So I literally have to memorize all 25 cases, every single week. Now, I can't commit those cases totally to memory because that's impossible. But I will know all the key legal issues of every case that I have to decide to the point where the commissioner will say, Justices, we are now on case 18. And he'll say case 18 is a carjacking that resulted in two homicides. When I hear carjacking, resulting in two homicides. That's my mental trigger. And I'm able to recall the case in its entirety. So people say like, why do you do this? You know, you're working 12 to 15 hours a day, seven days a week, you know, you're like, just like today, I was responsible for 25 cases and literally 30 opinions and an administrative agenda. And I was up all night for the last week, internalizing and preparing, so that I could participate in conference today. And now I finally get to the end of conference. It's like taking a massive exam. And then tomorrow, I have to start at case one. Because next Wednesday is another conference. And there'll be 25 cases and a massive opinion agenda and an ADM agenda. And I've got to be responsible for all of that material. I've always worked this hard. And it takes a toll on you after a while. But, you know, maybe when you look at it, it does make a difference. Like when I represented the Paralyzed Veterans, I can honestly say that, you know, we were able to, you know, make buses accessible so that People with disabilities could use city buses. And that set a global, I’m sorry, that set a national precedent that's now used all across the country. So, you know, public transit all across the United States has been impacted. So public transit providers have to make their systems accessible. And that came out of the Detroit bus case. You know, I guess I can hopefully say that you were able to use the law to enhance and make life better for people, and ultimately allow for people to feel connected, and feel like they're part of a community. And that's what's really important. And that's what's so significant is that now even though I'm a judge, you know, I'm not able to be on the field, but I referee, what happens on the field, my goal is just to be a good judge. And, you know, as the first blind Supreme Court justice here in our great state, it lets me feel excited about the future. Because I'm elected to this position, I'm not appointed, I'm elected. And what was really wonderful about this experience was that the people of the state of Michigan basically said that, you know, what, not only do we want a person with a severe disability, living amongst us and working amongst us, but we're ready to have a person with a severe disability, be in a position where they're ultimately going to make decisions that affect all of us. It's one thing to allow people with disabilities to be seen as equal. But what's amazing about our state is the people basically said, you know, what, I want somebody with a disability, to be in a position where they're going to render decisions that will ultimately impact and affect the way that I live. And I think that's the essence of how you know that a movement is working. When the extraordinary now becomes the ordinary, you realize that real change has ultimately been made. And I think that's exciting. And I think it's been a very difficult and problematic and challenging two years. But we're coming out of it. And I think the human spirit has allowed for us to survive. And what we're ultimately finding is that life is moving forward and moving on. And we can all be excited about that.
William Krieger
And I am very excited, I want to step back for just a moment when you were talking about making some changes in different industries. And what I find interesting is that what you're talking about, in its infancy was what I call bolt on, right, we did things out of compliance. So we have to do this, we don't get in trouble. Right? What I'm seeing today is companies doing this because it's the right thing to do. I know that I'm on, I'm on my church board, and we're getting ready to do some work on our sidewalks. And we talked about that work in terms of how we make this accessible, not because we were trying to meet some code or something but wanted to make it accessible so that people could come, right people could come visit us in I think that that's ultimately like we made it part of our DNA, to take care of people and do the right thing. Whereas initially had to be a compliance thing?
Justice Bernstein
Well, I think you find that people are inherently good, you know, and people are inherently kind. And what I think you find is that this affects so many people that they only want to do, right by their families, you know, they only want to do right by their friends and by their colleagues. I mean, people want people to be a part of community, because like I have always said, and keep saying over and over again. Life is community and community is life. And people are good. And I think what you find is literally, we've all been through a lot, but it is time, it's time to start feeling good. Again, it's time to start feeling optimistic, again, it's time to start being idealistic. Again, it's time to be energetic again. And it's just simply time to realize that you know what, life is going to get so much better. You just have to stay tuned. And I think that's how it is for everything. You sometimes, no matter how hard or difficult or painful it is, you sometimes just have to find a way to simply stay tuned.
William Krieger
And I think that really speaks to a concept of blue sky, right, no matter how great it is, no matter what's going on. The blue sky is always behind that. And we have to remember that.
Justice Bernstein
I don't think he always has to be optimistic. I don't think people should always feel good. I don't think people should always be idealistic. I think it's okay to be angry, frustrated, sad and disappointed. I think it's okay for people to have all of those emotions. And to feel that way. I don't think that we always have to look for a way to be, you know, optimistic. But I think what we do have to do, I think this is the hardest thing is you have to find a way to adapt, you have to find a way to adapt to your new circumstance or new situation. And you have to find a way to adapt to a life that you might not want, but to the life that's been given and chosen for you. But you ultimately have to find an ability to simply adapt. Because I think it's through adapting that you can ultimately figure out the way that you're going to survive. Because life changes fast, it can change for the good, and it can change for the bad. But the one thing you have to realize about life, it changes fast.
William Krieger
And that kind of brings me to a question for you. So you have lived this amazing life by any measure, you've done some incredible things. You talk about adapting and, you know, allowing yourself to feel these emotions to be angry to be sad. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you thought, I just can't adapt to this, like this was just too much?
Justice Bernstein
Well, I think I had a, I was in a catastrophic injury. In New York City I was I just finished my 17th marathon and I was walking in the pedestrian lane of Central Park. And a bicyclist was going about 35 miles an hour. And he was unable to maintain his bike since he was going such a high rate of speed. And he veered into the pedestrian lane where I was walking. And he hit me directly in the back. And it was a 35 mile an hour impact. And it was absolutely catastrophic. And it required over 10 weeks of hospitalization at New York's Mount Sinai Hospital, 10 weeks of hospitalization. And I had to learn how to walk again, I had to learn how to do everything again. And I think what you come to realize in life, is that it's really about the simple things. It's not about the big things, it's about the little things. And in my situation, you know, you come to find that you, you've got to find joy in the little things, never the big, always the little. And in that situation. It was that absence of doing the things that you like, like going to work or riding on a bus or going to a restaurant, it was that inability to do those small things that you really missed. Because at the end of the day, life is really about the small things. And I think in my situation, you know, ultimately, I had to learn how to walk again, I had to learn how to deal with, you know, tremendous pain that comes from these types of injuries. But eventually, you know, I got released from the hospital. And it was time for the New York City Marathon. And always remember, as we were running through the streets of New York, and we crossed over the 59th Street Bridge, and we began running up First Avenue. The pain was becoming so severe, and so intense, that I remember reaching up to the heavens, and I remember praying to the creator and saying to him, God, let me have this. Let me be able to finish this race. Let me have the opportunity to please cross the finish line. And then you could actually feel it. You could sense the wind. You could feel the lightning. And you could actually hear the thunder. Because I think all of us either have or going to have an absolute battle with the Creator. And for me it was going to happen right there on First Avenue at mile 18 Because my anger and my rage and my frustration was indescribable. I just remember the anger and the hostility they had towards Hashem or God for what he had done, the way I was living in the pain that I was in. And it culminated in this unbelievable battle. And I think in answer to your question, right there on First Avenue, I was able to find what I think we're all searching for. I was able to make a sense of peace, peace with my new body, peace with my new circumstance, peace with my new life. But most importantly, I was able to make my peace with God. And I think that really is what everyone is trying to find. As we go through these unbelievably turbulent and difficult times, I think what people are really looking for is they're looking to find their sense of peace. And I think if you can find a level and a sense of peace, it will allow for you to move forward. And it will allow for you to live with that sense of meaning and purpose. Because at the end of the day, you can't spend your time and your energy and your effort focusing on how you're going to get over it. For you just simply have no other alternative, but to just get on with it. And I think that's the essence of who we are, of how we're created. And what we're ultimately sent here to do.
William Krieger
And so if I think back to some to a story that you told it feels to me, like that was kind of your Jacob moment that you went for being Richard to Israel, correct in that run?
Justice Bernstein
Yes, sometimes the best place to end is with a great story from the Bible. Because the Bible is always the best place to go. Because it's the story I always share. Because it means so much to me. And it's the story of how the angel came upon Jacob deep into the night. And there existed an immense battle, and the battle raged until the dawn. And when the sun rose, the angel blessed Jacob and gave him a new name, the name of Israel, which is translated to mean one who struggles with God. But we know from scripture, that Jacob was not left uninjured. We know that he was given a shattered hip, and he would walk with a limp for the remainder of his days. We also knew that Jacob had to live in great pain. Now, I believe that Scripture teaches us this, because it was only through Jacob's pain and his anguish and his struggle. But he was able to empathize and understand and connect with those he was sent to lead. And it was only through those qualities that he could become the Father, of a people, and the creator of a great nation. So I think the way you have to look at it is, and I think what we all come to look at as we live our lives, is that it's only through our struggle, and through our hardship, and through our pain, that we come to have certain life experiences. And it's only through those experiences, that we're able to find our place, our purpose, our mission, and our reason for creation. And if you're able to live your life with that knowledge, with that understanding, with that appreciation, and with that sense of passion, you're not going to have an easy life. But you are going to have a life of purpose, mission, and meaning. And you will have an exceptional one. And I think at the end of the day, what we all learn when we spend time with those who know struggle and adversity challenge and hardship is like we always said, for so many of us, our bodies are mortal. And we are truly infirmed. But it is our spirits. And it is our souls that truly know no limitations. And ultimately, it is always the weakest of bodies who have the strongest of souls. And it's always those spirits that literally are able to pierce the heavens and touch the face of God. So thank you so much for this incredible opportunity. And thank you for doing this podcast. And thank you to Consumers for working so hard to be inclusive. And may you continue to do the work that you do and keep making the difference that you make.
William Krieger
And thank you so much for taking the time out of your day. I know it's been a long day for you to be here to talk with us to talk with our not only our coworkers, but all the people who also listen to this. I'm sure it'll be a great inspiration to them. I know I'm feeling very inspired right now. Again, thank you so much justice Bernstein for coming on.
Justice Bernstein
Thank you and may God bless all of you.
William Krieger
Thank you to the audience for listening in today. The Me You Us podcast is proudly sponsored by Consumers Energy leaving Michigan better than we found it. Remember, you can find the Me You Us podcast on all major podcasting platforms. So be sure to go out find us and subscribe. If you or someone you know is in crisis, please contact the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. That's 1-800-273-8255 If you are a veteran or know a Veteran who is in crisis, you can call 1-800-273-8255 in press one for the Veterans Crisis Line. And remember to tune in every Wednesday as we talk about the things that impact your personal wellbeing.