Wow! July is here and what a summer of adventure it has been! The kids and I have been intentionally seeking out:

Adventure

Holy Spirit has been guiding us on our journey. Sending cards is a heart space activity that I enjoy so I have been folding that into my teaching. Each week the kids and I send cards to loved ones. It’s great for teaching them to think of others, reflect on their daily experiences, and for them to practice addressing mail (with neat handwriting, of course :)).In a hyper digitized world receiving physical mail gives that childhood summer “I hear the Ice Cream Truck” flashback feelings.

Oooh, Something Heart Melting Is Here!!!

The unique handwriting. The thoughtful messages. The one of a kind drawings. So much love & goodness tucked into a stamped pouch.

We were dropping off mail to our local post office and became:

Curious

What exactly goes on behind those locked doors? So, we took a few extra minutes to inquire about a:

Field Trip

The Post Office Supervisor, Lashaun, was very warm and agreed to give us a tour! We were soo excited! I wanted the kids to get the most out of the visit so the boys and I read books about the Post Office at the Library. 

A few days later we were at the post office practicing our personal greetings and receiving a tour from a lovely woman, Linnea.  She has been providing postal service for 38 years and serving at the Gurnee Post Office for 20 years! Linnea started off as a part time-rural carrier and now serves as The Gurnee Post Master. She loves her job and it has afforded her a wonderful life. Observing her leadership style was a true treat and showed us what great leadership looks like! She taught us to not let things fester and to lovingly deal with issues immediately. Linnea spoke highly of all the postal workers under her leadership and introduced us to the supervisors, postal carriers, and custodian! We were impressed with the cleanliness, level of organization, and the friendly atmosphere at the Gurnee Post Office. Every role is critical and needed to keep the mail processes flowing.

Fun Field Trip Facts:

• 1971 is the last time the post office took tax dollars for funding per the Postal Reform Act
• The post office is funded by the sales of products, goods, and services
• The post office is the only government agency that provides service to the public

There was a major heat wave the week that we visited and still mail trucks (without AC) were being loaded with a smile! The U.S. National Post Workers are going the extra mile to make sure our nation’s mail does not end up in a massive pile. Our postal carriers do more than drive trucks and stuff mailboxes, they sort and load mail trucks, too! Let’s make it worthwhile and tell them thank you. 

Happy National Postal Worker Day (July 1st)

To express gratitude, the kids and I will be hand delivering donuts to the post office with our own mailings. 

How do you show appreciation to your local postal workers throughout the year?

Signed – Sealed – Delivered ,