Ellsworth Village President Becky Beissel

My husband and I have been trying to get out for more walks lately, and a couple of weeks ago, we noticed something new along one of our usual routes. A home in the neighborhood had several new signs posted around the yard: “Friendly Dogs. Invisible Fence.”

The family has lived there for quite a while, and so have the dogs, so we wondered what had prompted the new signs. A few nights later, we got our answer…

We were walking by when the homeowner was outside with his dogs. We know him, so we stopped to visit for a few minutes. As the dogs came running toward us, he quickly reassured us that they were friendly. I mentioned that I had noticed his new signs, and he explained that there are quite a few new neighbors in the area. He had started noticing people walking by who seemed unsure about the dogs. They didn’t know the dogs, they didn’t know there was an invisible fence, and they didn’t know whether they needed to be concerned. So, he decided to put up signs.

It was a small thing, but such a kind gesture. He noticed something that might make someone else feel uncomfortable, especially someone new to the neighborhood, and thought about what he could do to make them feel more at ease. There was no requirement that he put up those signs. Nobody asked him to do it. It was simply one neighbor thinking about another.

And really, isn’t that how we create the kind of community we want to live in?

I spend a lot of time thinking about Ellsworth’s future. We talk about streets and parks, housing and businesses, budgets and infrastructure. We make plans, adopt policies, and invest in projects that we hope will make Ellsworth an even better place to live. Those things matter, but village government can’t create the spirit of a community. People do that.

We create it in the way we welcome a new neighbor, in the patience we show one another, and whether we assume good intentions or the worst. We create it in whether we seek understanding before passing judgment, whether we extend a little grace when we don’t know the whole story, and whether we can embrace positive change while still honoring the things that make Ellsworth feel like home.

Every interaction adds a little something to the culture of our community. If we want Ellsworth to be welcoming, we have to welcome. If we want it to be kind, we have to practice kindness. If we want it to be a place where people extend grace, seek understanding, and look hopefully toward the future, those things have to begin with us.

None of us gets to decide by ourselves what kind of community Ellsworth will be, but all of us get to contribute to it. Sometimes that contribution is something big, and sometimes it’s as simple as putting up a sign that says, “Friendly dogs.”