Now Serving

The doors had only been open a few minutes, but people were everywhere. Each register was busy. The sign on the post office wall said Now Serving: 92.

People were carefully stacking boxes while they sat and hurriedly addressing boxes while they stood. One woman behind the counter shouted to see if anyone just needed to pick up held mail. Another was helping unprepared customers retape their boxes.

The sign rolled over: 98, 99, 00... I wondered how they'd call it out. Number double-zero, a woman behind the counter shouted. A man from the back of the room with an infant hanging from his left arm and a car seat and package from his right came limping up.

10, 11, 12... An old man with a cane next to me fidgeted as said, Keep counting! He wasn't happy. He had only come for stamps. (Who knows what he was thinking, coming for stamps at this time of year.)

13, 14, 15... I looked at my number and then at the man. Here, I said. We'll swap. You're just getting stamps. He looked at me with a bit of surprise on his face and then shuffled to the counter. He got a single roll of first-class stamps, turned, and said Thank you, as he left.

16... I walked to the counter.

It was your turn, the postal employee behind the counter said and then smiled, Random acts of kindness. You've made my day.

And she smile -- at this time of year, she smiled.

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