Utilize Lexington’s Treasures in 2011

January 12, 2011 thenestlexington

What would you like to see the city of Lexington do in 2011 to help strengthen all of its families? Here are thought from The Nest Communications Director, Beth Dotson Brown.

In 2011, I would like to see Lexington’s leaders set an example for us all by recognizing that every citizen has a gift to contribute to this city. Lexington is like a treasure chest filled with gold. Open the chest and you’ll find some coins that shine, shouting their worth. Others hide in the pile, dulled from neglect or overuse. They await someone to help them recover their luster. Take the time to remove the tarnish and you’ll find a treasure beneath.

A lot of the people who come to The Nest for services are like those dulled coins. They are weighed down by overwhelming utility bills, violence they don’t know to escape from, cries of need from their children and other situations that seem too difficult to solve. Through our holistic approach to assistance, we try to help them find their way to the first step of healing and strengthening their entire family.

Ask many of these people what gift, what talent or idea they have to share with their fellow citizens, and they’ll sit in silence. Instead,  ask them to tell you about their lives. Listen as they share stories. Their strengths will shine through. Their talents will begin to dance to before you. The lessons that have made them strong will become examples that you realize others need to hear.

Lexington is filled with people who haven’t yet been asked to contribute their talents to making this city a better place for families. They’re in that unassuming house on the corner and that apartment upstairs. So let’s begin this year with a spirit of openness that leads to truly hearing what the people around us have to say. Engage in conversation. Get to know the people you see every day. We might discover we already have everything we need; it’s just a matter of putting it to work to strengthen our whole city.

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