Back in the day, Mister Rogers taught us all about the important people who are in our neighborhoods. One of the most important people featured was postal worker and delivery man Mr. McFeely. The character was played by David Alexander Newell, who gladly took on the role as a secondary position to working with Fred Rogers in the public relationships department. The two, obviously, became close.
Just like his character, David had a big heart. But for many, he was also the first mail carrier that children got to know on a personal level. It's amazing what a postal worker can learn about you solely based on the type of mail you get.
These days, the US Postal Service is under threat. It's losing funds and important equipment to help its workers sort the mail in a timely manner. Many people might shrug and credit email, assuming the services provided by the USPS are archaic. But that could not be further from the truth.
Just look at 11-year-old Emerson Weber, who depends on the postal service to help her connect with friends and family members. She's even become close to her mailman, Doug.
In May, Emerson wrote postal worker Doug a letter expressing her gratitude. Not only did that letter go viral, but it helped inspire a children's book. On January 5, 2021, kids and parents everywhere can read Sincerely, Emerson when it hits the shelves. Hopefully, that book will instill a love of the post office in children everywhere.
Emerson's dad shared with the world how his daughter's connection with the postal service came to be. Emerson had written Doug a letter expressing how thankful she is that he delivers the mail every day. Doug shared the note with Sara, who is his supervisor. She was also touched by the gesture.
Sara went so far as to share Emerson's sweet letter with the USPS internal newsletter as a "Token of Thanks" to its workers, making the letter become even more widespread. The postal service wrote a response directly to Emerson's parents, who learned that their daughter's letter had brought a lot of joy when it was desperately needed. "I thank you for raising a daughter like Emerson," the letter read. "May her love for the country and the United States Postal Service be continued throughout her years."
That next day, Doug arrived at Emerson's house with a box full of letters for her. People wanted to take the time to let her know how important the letter was, and what better way to do it than by mail? Emerson's dad took a photo of Doug with the box, making the gesture even more personal.
The letters were personalized to Emerson. They knew she loved Taylor Swift, so the responses mentioned Taylor Swift. In her letter, Emerson had shared jokes, so the strangers sent jokes right back. It was almost like these people personally knew Emerson, yet they had never met. However, the beautiful letters shared everything they needed to really know.
It's a great reminder that each letter is a personalized keepsake. While there's a benefit to texts and phone calls, letters can be framed. Letters can also be kept forever and are a good way to tell someone "you mean a lot to me." It doesn't take half as much time to construct a text as it does a handwritten letter.
The letters also contained a ton of stamps to help Emerson's letter-writing habit. Aside from this one project, she is reportedly an avid writer. Even better, she makes sure to personalize all her envelopes to make them a joy to receive. At the age of 11, she already knows what type of mail will get people's attention and make them smile.
Emerson's dad, Hugh, expressed on Twitter that it's been a joy to see what people have been writing. Many seemed very eager to tell their story. Others asked if Emerson could write a letter to someone they knew who was feeling lonely. Although it's 2020, letters still have a way of brightening up people's day. Even Emerson has declared that she'll likely still be writing letters when she eventually gets a phone, telling Today, "It's just not the same. Like, I call my grandmother lots but today I got a letter from her. And it's just so much better to get in first letters."
According to Hugh, Emerson wrote back to every person who asked for a letter. Even though it's summer and school's still out for many kids, that's a big task that she took on. But she felt like it was important that everyone who reached out to her heard back. And that's the type of good news everyone needs this year.
Despite age, money, situation, and whether or not Taylor Swift opinions were shared, Emerson wanted every person who took the time to write to her to know how much she appreciated them. Hugh wanted to share Emerson's story since he was proud, but also because he realized that this gesture was too meaningful to keep quiet.
"I'm sharing it because it is relatively easy, if we take the time, to give others the one thing they need to be well – human connection," he wrote. And that's what the post office can do for us. During times when we're locked down, we can easily share words and gifts with our loved ones far away — all thanks to the postal service.
For the record, even Taylor Swift was impressed by Emerson's mission. She was one of the many who sent a gift and an acknowledgement to Emerson. Hugh's message on Twitter also expressed how important connection is. Sometimes, people just need an ear that'll listen. Other times, they just want to feel like they matter. Mental health is very important, and simply writing a letter can really change the course of someone's day.
Emerson's sweet gesture has gotten so big that a children's book is coming out based on her story. Sincerely, Emerson is being published by HarperCollins. "One tiny act of kindness can have a huge impact," its description reads. "And in this heartwarming, hopeful, absolutely true story, a simple letter does just that."
But writing a book was never her intent. Emerson's major goal was to be kind, and she likely had no clue how much that kindness would spiral. It's a reminder to everyone that it's important to make time for the people you love.
And that's one of the big messages that Hugh wants the world to take from the story. Connecting with someone in such a way makes a great difference. Especially this year, when so many people in our county have lost so much. Plus, it's an excellent way to support the postal service and remind people how important and vital of a service it provides.
Hopefully, Emerson never stops writing letters. And it'd be even better if she inspires others to sit down and write a letter. It's amazing how powerful they can become. It's the perfect opportunity to ask relatives deeper questions, or even connect to someone who just needs a new friend.
