Starting Right
Starting Right is a 5 minute Day Starter to help keep you motivated, encouraged, and focused throughout your day. DannyMac is a pastor, teacher, motivational speaker, husband, and father. His years of leading and training people have given him vast experience in helping individuals to accomplish change in their lives and meet their goals. He can help you set the course for your day by offering practical advice from God's Word in a positive and fun way. There is no better way to begin your day than by Starting Right with DannyMac.
Starting Right
Morning Kindness
What happens when a simple thank-you note travels far beyond its intended recipient? Today's episode explores the remarkable ripple effect of gratitude through the story of Emerson Weber, a young letter writer who changed hundreds of lives with a single note of appreciation to her mail carrier.
I share how Emerson's thank-you letter to her postal worker Doug sparked an unexpected chain reaction. After being published in the USPS internal newsletter, her message resonated so deeply that over 200 postal workers from across the western United States sent heartfelt responses. These weren't just polite acknowledgments—they were deeply human exchanges filled with stories about families, pets, hobbies, and an overwhelming sense of kindness. Rural postal workers operating in isolation, parents separated from distant children, and even secret Taylor Swift fans within the postal service found connection through these letters.
Emerson's story demonstrates that authentic human connection doesn't require grand gestures, just willingness to share ourselves and acknowledge others.
Good morning and welcome to Starting Right. I am Danny Mac and I'm going to be here every Monday to Friday to help you get a great start to your day. So grab your cup of coffee, sit back and relax for the next five minutes as I help you start your day by starting right. My personal Bible reading time has brought me to the book of 1 Thessalonians. Today I was reading through chapter 5 and came across verse 11 that always seems to jump out at me. It's one of those verses that speaks to me almost every time. It says so encourage one another and build each other up. I think one of the reasons that verse speaks so clearly so often is because of the times that we're living in. We are particularly in need of being encouraged and to encourage each other, and right now we are facing a whole new set of stresses once again, as school is starting and summer is over and there's absolutely no seeming end to the pandemic. Many people, as a result, are feeling isolated and alone.
Speaker 1:I came across a story about a young lady by the name of Emerson Weber. She has a hobby she writes letters Not emails, not texts, but letters. She's got pen pals and she writes these letters and tells them about her life and what's going on, and she decorates the letters and then she mails them off. One day she decided she was going to write a letter to thank her mail carrier, and in her letter she said I'm Emerson. You may know me as the person that lives here and writes a lot of letters and decorates envelopes. Well, I wanted to thank you for taking my letters and delivering them. You are very important to me. I make people happy with my letters, but you do too. The reason you are important in my life is because I don't have a phone, so how else am I supposed to stay in touch with my friends? You make it possible. She put it in the mailbox and smiled when he took it, and that was enough.
Speaker 1:Well, the next day a package arrived with some stamps and two letters. The mail carrier, doug, had shared Em's letter with his supervisor, sarah, and they both wanted to share with her how much they enjoyed and appreciated her letter. The next week in the mail they received a copy of the internal USPS newsletter for the Western United States where M's note had been printed, as Sarah, the supervisor, had shared it, and it seemed that postal workers from all over the Western United States were wanting to thank her, had shared it, and it seemed that postal workers from all over the western United States were wanting to thank her. Soon boxes of letters began arriving at M's door. These letters were deeply human. They were filled with family and pets and hobbies and community and an overwhelming sense of kindness. Because M was vulnerable in her letter they were too. She shared her silly jokes like why do you never see elephants hiding in trees? Because they're really good at it. And as M shared jokes, those who wrote back shared jokes. She shared about her brother. So every gift that came was sent in duplicate. M shared her love of Taylor Swift.
Speaker 1:It turns out that within the USPS there are a lot of undercover Swifties. One maintenance manager from Minnesota wanted to inspire her to start collecting stamps, so he sent along two stamps from his own collection to help get her started. They sent stamps to be used as well Stamps for her to write back, stamps for her to write to others, stamps, stamps, stamps. Over 200 had arrived in a very short time.
Speaker 1:But there was something more in these letters. People felt seen Some for the first time in a long time. They wrote things like I work alone in a rural post office. They said my kids all live far away. It's so good to hear from you. One wrote I can't tell you how much it means to read your letter. Another I have a son in Kuwait and if you have a second to send him a letter he would love it. Another said I know you can't write back to all of us, but maybe I can drop you a line from time to time.
Speaker 1:With dozens of new pen pals, em does what she does best. New pen pals Em does what she does best. She wrote the dad. She wrote the son. She assured the secret. Taylor Swift fans should not be embarrassed because her dad is a Swifty too. She says there are lots of letters, but she has the time and she sees them all.
Speaker 1:I love this story because Emerson is just being Emerson. She's writing letters in her own style. She decorates them, she puts stories and jokes in them, she asks questions. She's so very human that people, as they hear it, can relate to what she's saying and in response, they feel noticed, loved and cared about as well. Emerson's message is that it is the small things that make a difference in people's lives. A simple thank you note, a simple I appreciate you a simple word of encouragement and doing good. So today, my friends, let's you and me encourage one another. Let's make sure that people are known, are recognized, are loved and are not left alone. Have a great day, my friends. We'll talk to you tomorrow. Thank you for listening today and I invite you to join me Monday to Friday, right here on Starting Right with Danny Mac.
