Despite recent attempts to undermine the US Postal Service in this country, our local postal employees have risen above. They have continued to serve their community with smiles on their faces and a level of professionalism that transcends the difficulties they face each day. Working late hours behind the scenes, they make sure our packages and parcels arrive on time, after most of us have already called it a day. They are not receiving praise from the top for the sacrifices they make, that responsibility lies with us, the local patrons. 

Being in a mountain community we rely on the Post Office as a link to our families and friends in the rest of the world; it is an imperative service that has the power to make or break Christmas, for example. Where would we be without these folks who handle everything from our wedding invitations to our utility bills? 

It has been brought up in recent talks around town that we could help lighten the load for them in a few different ways, as well as brighten their days by simply reciprocating the courtesy they show us all, even when they are exhausted from the late-night sorting of mail. As a few suggestions, we can attempt to avoid doing business during peak hours to keep the lines shorter, offer them a sweet little thank you note once in a while, maybe come back later if we notice they are already overwhelmed. 

Plan holiday mailings in a timely fashion as opposed to waiting until the last minute and most importantly, please always be patient and courteous with these essential employees. They are putting themselves at risk every day in order to keep our lines of communication open and operational and they deserve to be treated with the utmost respect. 

Thank you, postal workers, for the loving care with which you handle our precious cargo, you are noticed and appreciated!

(Originally published in the November 19, 2020, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)