Revisiting a post I wrote last Christmas in honor of the good people who work at my local post office. They're the best!
Last Saturday, I had to go to the post office to mail Christmas presents.
I know. What was I thinking?
I
used to be the kind of person who had Christmas cards out by the first
of December and gifts wrapped, packed, and shipped no later than
December's first weekend. I considered it my personal gift to postal
employees everywhere to plan ahead and help them out during this busy
season.
I was terribly proud of myself for being so
organized. And smug. But life got in the way this year, and pride
goeth before destruction and all that, so I was ready to show up at my
local post office and do penance for all my years of smugness.
And was delightfully surprised.
The
employees at my local post office had gone all out for their customers,
determined to send each one away smiling.They had set up a television and were
showing How The Grinch Stole Christmas for all the customers who waited in line. Earlier in the season I had stopped in and found It's a Wonderful Life playing
on continuous loop.The woman at the counter said showing it helped keep everyone smiling, because each customer seemed to have a favorite line.
There
was popcorn and candy at the counter, and the employees joked and laughed with each of us pathetic, bedraggled, delinquent package
mailers. Customers began conversations with one another. One
woman told us she was shipping copies of her family history out
to her relatives.We all shared in the beauty of the gift she
was giving.
We shared in community in my little local post office on the last Saturday before Christmas and, in the last place I expected, I received a beautiful gift.
Originally posted December 20, 2010; edited and revised.
8 comments:
Lovely story Nancy - and you've managed to repost it 4 days before you posted it :-)
Oops! Corrected--thanks!
I love that Nancy!! What a great group of postal employees to do that for the customers. I have never seen or heard of that before.
This makes me smile. Amazing how those little things can make such a big difference!
What a great group indeed. It makes me want to mail a few packages.
I think you have a better post office than any of the ones I've been to...
Beautiful story, Nancy. I think your shift and wait time just may go faster if both customer and clerks would have a sense of humor!
Here's the thing about your words.
You could repost something every week, and I'd still be excited to read it. Honestly, you have such a way of being deep, funny, and connecting with readers you've never met. It's a gift. Seriously.
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