Thanks to the Letter Carriers

As I drove through the slippery streets of my neighborhood yesterday, I happened to spot a mail truck and watched as the letter carrier loaded her bag and headed off down the snow covered sidewalk to deliver the mail.

I have no idea how long she had been on the delivery route for the day but, given how early they start around here, I was certain she’d been out in the nastiness for several hours.  Her face was rather red from the frigid wind hitting her; simply put, she looked right COLD!

Several different thoughts ran through my mind at the time.

The first being that I was so thankful for the office job that I have, and that I don’t have to work out in the elements like that all day, every day.

Secondly, I don’t know how the letter carriers do what they do day in and day out.  Walking the streets and delivering the mail six days a week, no matter the weather conditions.  Sunshine, rain, or snow; the letter carriers of the USPS are always on the go.

Then I got to wondering how many letter carriers live with diabetes, and how they balanced D management with the grueling schedules and tasks of their jobs.  Hey, as a person living with diabetes, it’s only natural to wonder those things.

Ultimately, I got to thinking about the fact that it is the holiday season, and that the letter carriers workload is even greater this time of year as they have Christmas cards and packages to deliver on top of their regular daily deliveries.

And seeing that letter carrier trudging through the snow to make her deliveries just served as a reminder of how thankful we should be to have such a service available to us.  The letter carriers bust their butts, sometimes literally, in a nearly thankless job, but without them, so many things would cease to function.

So, as you head off to the post office to mail your Christmas cards and packages, take a moment to remember the men and women who will be working to ensure your mail gets to where it’s going.  They deserve a moment of gratitude.