When I was a little girl, I remember my grandmother always talking to her mailman, Ralph. She lived in a neighborhood where Ralph walked from home to home, and he knew everyone on his route. Sometimes, he’d sit and have a cup of coffee with her, just because he could. Yes, I grew up in the 1980s when life was a bit slower-paced. But in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t really that long ago. In forty-something years, as a society, it feels like we’ve lost a bit of that personal service. Yet in small-town America, it’s alive and well. I know that for a fact. I don’t live in a small town, but a recent experience with a mail carrier made me yearn for those simpler Mayberry-like days.
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This Sweet Mail Carrier Changed My Family’s Entire Weekend
I live in a big city, and there’s plenty of movement on my street with delivery trucks every single day. My family receives a lot of packages, so when my husband told me to look out for his, I did. He and our 9-year-old daughter, the baby and only little girl, had their Daddy/Daughter dance last weekend. The theme was Snow Ball, and my husband ordered a very special snowflake sport coat to wear. He paid the extra shipping to guarantee it would get there on time. But as the days got closer and he watched the tracking, he realized something was wrong.
The package was supposed to come to us in St. Louis, Missouri, but somehow got rerouted to Wright City, a town about 50 miles away. On a whim, I thought I’d try to contact that post office to see if I could talk to someone. Of course, the only number I could find was to the main United States Postal Service line, and it got me absolutely nowhere. Then, like a stroke of magic, I found a Facebook post from Christmastime with a phone number. I thought, what do I have to lose? The dance was that night; we knew where the jacket was, and the worst that could happen was that no one would answer. But that’s not what happened at all.
Instead, a woman named Therese answered my call. She listened to my frantic rant and said she’d see what she could do. Within minutes, she called me back, a stranger, and said the postmaster had the package and I could come and get it. It stopped me in my tracks. Not because she found it, but because she cared. Therese took pity on a mom and wanted to help a dream come true. My husband drove to the post office and had his jacket in plenty of time for the dance that night. You might think that’s where the story ends, but it actually got even better.
Several hours later, Therese called to see if my husband had received the package and offered to meet me at the post office to unlock it if I still needed it. On a very cold Friday night, she was willing to meet a total stranger if I needed help. The encounter touched my heart and compelled me to comment on the Facebook thread where I found her number. The magic continued.
Community Leaders Recognized the Mail Carrier
Wright City Alderman Ramiz Hakim shared my post on Facebook along with a beautiful message about Therese and the power of a small town. Everyone loves their mail carrier.
“Love Wright City! I had a damaged envelope in my mail and it was accompanied by an apology note. I thought that was very nice of them to take the time to do!” Someone commented on his post.
“Such a great story. I am truly blessed to live in an area that cares for its fellow citizens. We have been blessed ourselves, and it warms my heart to know this continues. Thank you for your kindness!” Another person added.
“Thank you, Teresa! you made that little girl and her daddy so happy!
Nice job! This is what small towns do take care of one another!” A follower agreed.
Ramiz’s pride in his community shines, and his love for Therese and the people of Wright City is very clear.
“I am not surprised in the least by your experience with my friend, and mail carrier, Therese. She is known for going above and beyond for people. There are countless stories of her opening the Post Office after hours, and even on Christmas Day, just to help someone get an important package,” Ramiz shared with me in an email. “What you experienced is the Wright City way of doing things, and Therese embodies that spirit perfectly!”
I am a stranger whom she didn’t have to help, but she did, just to be kind. All it took was a phone call and some incredible grace to make their night perfect. Marinate on that for just a moment. In a world filled with anger and short of patience, be a Therese! That’s what we need today more than ever. It just might make a little girl’s dream come true.
This story’s featured image was provided by Colleen Dilthey Thomas.
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