Finding smiles in mailbox surprises

Every time I open the mailbox, I get a small sense of despair. From pizza coupons to car dealership flyers addressed to “current resident”, or campaign brochures and credit card applications, these days it seems like each visit to the mailbox is a scene from the movie Groundhog Day.

I’m one of those people that reach into the dark square-shaped hole, take out each piece one at a time, lean over and take a closer look into the box to see if I missed anything, and then stand outside going through each item.

On most days, all the mail ends up in the bin. And then there are those days that you stand by the mailbox for a few extra minutes because you spot something that might not be worth throwing away. You turn over the envelop and crudely tear it open with your thumb. Inside you find a letter. A letter from a real person.

It’s a letter with actual ink and words that seem honest and authentic. There are no sales pitches or political messages. You stand there and smile because someone took the time to write you something, put it an envelope, address the envelope, stick a stamp on it, seal and delivered it.