Acts of Excellence: South Dakota Girl Brightens Mailman's Day

Eleven-year-old Emerson Weber of Sioux Falls, South Dakota loves sending letters. She has twelve active penpals and loves to decorate her envelopes to make them festive and bright. She keeps her mailman, Doug, busy and wanted to show her appreciation. So she wanted to thank him with a letter of her own.

"I'm Emerson," she wrote to Doug, the mail carrier. "You may know me as the person that lives here that writes a lot of letters & decorated the envelopes too. Well, I wanted to thank you for taking my letters and delivering them. You are very important in my life. I make people happy with my letters, but you do too." Doug was touched to be appreciated, and to have his essential work seen and appreciated. Emerson's letter was shared in an internal U.S. Postal Service newsletter, and overnight, she had inspired individuals across the nation. Messages from postal workers all over the country began pouring in.

Via South Dakota Hall of Fame