It's Thank a Mail Carrier Day!
Please say "Thank you!"
If you’d prefer to listen instead of read this post:
"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds."
This famous motto, while associated unofficially with the United States Postal Service, has been popularized by postal workers and is chiseled in gray granite over the entrance to the New York City Post Office on 8th Avenue. According to Wikipedia, the phrase derives from a passage in George Herbert Palmer's translation of Herodotus's Histories (5th century BC), referring to the courier service of the ancient Persian Empire, whose agents served with great dedication.
More than dedicated…they became heroes during COVID-19
Of course we can all cite instances when mail was lost or late or mishandled, but when you consider that it’s delivered from all over the world to our homes and postal boxes six days a week, 52 weeks a year (minus an occasional holiday)—and how much we depend on our ability to mail or order things that arrive in surprisingly short time—the work our mail carriers do is remarkable.
I became suddenly aware of this during the first year of COVID. John and I were old enough to be in a high-risk group, and for the first year of the pandemic, no one really knew what we were dealing with. Fear was rampant, and while we didn’t relish the idea of dying, our biggest fear was that one of us would get sick and we’d be separated.
Our daughter, two-thirds of the way across the country, was frantic with worry and totally unable to help us. She urged us to do everything we could to minimize how often we had to go out or anywhere we might encounter other people.
Our mail carrier Wendy, and her fellow workers became our heroes.
She delivered the packages we ordered from Amazon, and for every one that didn’t fit in our box, she had to drive down our long driveway to the house.
She delivered the meals we ordered from Blue Apron.
She delivered the newspapers and mail that became our lifeline to the outside world.
She always delivered smiles along with the mail…and still does!
And every package she handled—packages that had been handled by countless others— increased her own risk of infection.
Thank your mail carrier today….or any time!
If they come to your door, thank them for their good work all year. If not, consider tucking a note into your mailbox for them to see when they deliver your mail. Here’s the one I left for Wendy last July for National Postal Workers Day, but the message would be the same.
Gifts are discouraged
Postal employees are not supposed to accept monetary gifts of any kind and any non-monetary gift should not be valued at no more than $20. I’m sure sometimes they’d appreciate a cold soft drink, bottled water, or pre-packaged snack.
Other ways to celebrate Thank a Mail Carrier Day
Pop into your local post office and thank them for what they do.
If you live near Washington, DC, visit the National Postal Museum. It’s part of the Smithsonian system, so admission is free, and it’s open daily 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.. There’s a “Highlights Tour” almost every day at 11:30am.
Every time you write and mail a letter, you’re supporting the U.S. Postal Service and validating the need for the important work they do.
Coming up…
Next week, I’m sharing the delightful creations of a wonderful new company called Dearist. Their mission “is to help young people discover their voices and foster meaningful connection,” starting with writing letters. Subscribe now so you don’t miss it.
Did you catch my big announcement?
I unveiled two new levels of Heartspoken membership last week for those who want to up their game of note writing. Check it out in “Ready to Make Your Notes More Powerful?”
Have a great week, and always remember: whether written or spoken,
words from the heart will never fail you!
Excellent!
I love this sentiment. So true!