JOY at the Post Office

Today I went to the post office to mail an envelope.  I had promised someone that the letter would be sent today.  I figured it would be just a 5 minute stop on my way home from running other errands.  Boy, was I mistaken!

I arrived at the post office to find the line going all the way out the door and there was only one person working at the counter!  A man leaving said, “It’s about a 30 minute wait from where you are”.  Grr… I had not planned for this much of a delay.  A promise is a promise, and the letter needed to be weighed, then mailed.

I stood in line just grumbling to myself.  “What a waste of my time!  I don’t like this. I had not counted on this.  It is foolish to do this – just put several stamps on the envelope and send it!”  My attitude was not very joyful at that point.

I started looking at the people in the long line. Many of them had several parcels they were juggling, plus it is the day before taxes are due, so no one in line looked very happy.

I noticed one young fellow several spots behind me.  He looked as if he only had one envelope in his hand. I asked, “Do you need merely a single postage stamp and you are going to wait in this long line for that?”  His reply, “Yes”.  I had my folder full of various stamps, so I said, “Would you like one with flowers?  Hearts?  Dogs? Trees or Other?”  He looked astonished and chose one.  He offered me the 2 quarters in his hand as payment.  I said, “Pay it Forward to someone else”.  He stamped the envelope, dropped it in the mail slot, then turned around to grin at the audience – the dozen people in line.  They, in turn smiled back!  A JOY MOMENT!

The line of customers continued to grow, but now I was less grumbly.  After a few minutes I noticed another person toward the end of the long line.  I asked the young man, “Do you merely need one postage stamp?”  He quietly said, “Yes, it’s for my taxes.  I don’t ever have a need for stamps to mail anything else.”  I handed him a basic stamp and said, “Well, then Merry Christmas!”  He laughed and the audience laughed with him.  He joyfully left the post office.

There was another young lad toward the end of the line.  Same question, “You also?”  He nodded.  I joyfully flitted back to him and presented him with a postage stamp saying “and a Merry Christmas to you as well!”  The other people in line were now laughing and grinning.

By that time it was my turn at the counter.  What a JOY to have had those moments. And I’ll bet some of those persons will tell at least one other person of their Joy Experience at the Post Office.

JOY is infectious – HELP SPREAD IT!