at the post office

There was an older, very sweet couple in the post office today mailing a small but very heavy box to the Netherlands. The post man said, “You have to fill out a disclosure slip and get this duct tape off the edges and address it correctly. Next!”

They filled out the disclosure slip, removed the duct tape and replaced it with the clear tape the postman had given them. They took their box back to the counter. People behind me were getting restless and thought the couple should go to the back of the line.

“Fill out the rest of the disclosure slip and bring it back!” snapped the postman.

I am familiar with disclosure slips from mailing stuff to my grandson in the Navy so I helped them fill it out.

“Where’s it going?”

“The Netherlands,” said the lady. Her accent was very heavy.

“Are you from the Netherlands?”

“Oh yes, many years ago now.”

“It’s such a heavy box,” I said.

“It’s clay for pottery.”

“Let’s put art supplies,” I suggested.

When we were finished the man winked and said, “I hope we don’t get sent back again.”

“Good luck.”

I could hear the people behind me muttering as they approached the counter again. I hoped they didn’t get sent back too.

The postman weighed the box, stamped this paper, tore that one and rang up the little box. “Seventy six dollars and 16 cents,” he said. “It would have been cheaper to just send money.”

The couple paid the money, turned and headed for the door. As they passed me, they smiled. “Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas!” I said.

I am sure it would have been cheaper to send money but the clay in that box was a precious offering and very important to the couple. I understood. I was also mailing a very precious and important package; a birthday box for my Little Mary.

“Next!” called the postman.