There are so many thankless jobs; many we never know of or encounter. So I’m trying to be more mindful of those I see, or at least hear, like the 30 minute phone conversation I had with a customer service rep from Humana CareSource. Just before hanging up, I asked to speak with her supervisor, so I could compliment her work. I loved her reaction – a long pause, followed by an audible smile, as she let it sink in that the person on the other end of the phone appreciated her work.

Today, I watched our mail carrier navigate the snowy streets of our haphazardly plowed neighborhood and thought, “Why?” I know the postal service creed, “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night …,” but still, “Why?  Those little mail trucks don’t look comfortable on even the best of days, but having to drive with your window open, when the temps are below freezing and the road conditions are ridiculous, seems more than we should ask of anyone.

I wish there was a program, similar to what hotels do when they invite guests to hang up bath towels if they are willing to use them again (rather than getting fresh towels every day), in an effort to save water and energy. I would absolutely waive my right to receive mail in inclement weather – a tradition that was admirable when it began, but rarely necessary now.

Since I couldn’t relieve our mail carrier from his appointed rounds, I opted to (hopefully) make his day a little better. I left a $5 Arch card in our mailbox, along with a note, inviting him to enjoy a warm beverage on his way home tonight, because I know that’s what I’d want at the end of a long, cold day (well, that’s what I’d want from my list of what can be gotten with a gift card).

The Arch card is something we received from a neighbor at Christmas and I forget it every time I go to McDonald’s. Finally, my absent-mindedness comes in handy! Now, I need to build it into our budget so we always have gift cards on hand when I need to pay it back or forward or just because.