Winter Park couple shares a positive message with signs along Berkshire Avenue

Some drivers might miss them if they go too fast down Berkshire Avenue. Motorists looking to take a quick detour through Orwin Manor in Winter Park weave in and out of parked cars along the narrow street on a daily basis. 

They all have somewhere to be, but a Winter Park husband and wife hopes an addition they’ve made to their lawn will make locals slow down – and smile. 

Leslie Williams and Greg Hartung have spruced up their front lawn with a trio of signs reading “Be Kind,” “You Matter” and “Love Wins” – a simple message that they want you to hear. 

They’ve lived in Winter Park for about three and half years, and the signs have been up since late November – all in response to negativity and bitterness Williams was seeing around her at the time. 

“I started feeling just a lot of heaviness and toxicity,” Williams said. “There seemed to be a lot of anger, or maybe frustration. I just wanted to put something out there that would make people just kind of take a beat. If they’re nice to the next person they meet, then it’s sort of paying it forward.” 

“She got the blank signs, went to Michaels and bought the paint and the stencil set, and off she went,” Hartung said. 

Countless local residents have seen the message too. The couple even installed lamps in front of the signs so their message can be seen in the evening. 

Hartung said he’s had at least eight to 10 people stop by and take pictures of the signs. Some have even responded with anonymous cards, thanking Williams and Hartung for brightening their day. 

“I drive down this road every day as part of my commute and your signs always instill a little more hope and happiness in me every time I pass them,” one local wrote. “Thank you for sharing your positivity with others. The world is a brighter place because of people like you.” 

Williams isn’t sure how long they should continue posting the signs up. Every time the couple thinks about taking them down, another neighbor approaches them and thanks them for the signs, she said. 

The message continues to reach people every day. Williams and Hartung want you to hear the message too. They want to calm down that speeding driver. To encourage someone in a rough period of their life. To let everyone know that they belong. 

“I hope their blood pressure goes down,” Hartung said.  

“Slow down, be in the moment,” Williams said. “People are just go, go, go and it’s all about just them. Let’s think about other people and just be kind to the next person you see.”