My friend shared a video of a mail carrier who took time to interact with a dog along his route over multiple days. The dog was excited to see the carrier. The carrier seemed equally as excited. And my friend added her own story of her childhood mail carrier who kept treats in his mail truck. One day, he left the door of his truck open and returned to find several neighborhood dogs helping themselves to the treats.
It reminded of the UPS driver who saw my dog and I sitting on the front porch swing one day as we were waiting for the girls to get home from school. Our pup was usually in the backyard, but the UPS driver was happy to meet Della and ask if she could share a treat. Of course, she could. Della’s tail enthusiastically wagged as she finished every crumb.
After that day, when the UPS driver dropped a package by the front door, she’d leave a small treat on top of it. If I looked outside and saw a treat, I’d let Della trot around to the front of the house and up the steps to find her treasure. She learned quickly and would often check her package/treat spot on the porch. When she wouldn’t find anything, she’d sniff around just in case the delivery person had left a crumb. No matter how many days would pass without a treat, Della optimistically checked just in case.
It was a small gesture on the part of the UPS driver. I imagine she primarily carried those treats to make friends with dogs who might not be too welcoming along the route, but she also treated the dogs she didn’t even see. It’s one thing to be prepared to give if we find ourselves in a specific situation. It’s another to take the added effort to give when the opportunity doesn’t personally serve our purpose and might go unseen and unappreciated. We don’t always have to know the full impact of our generosity and kindness. We can treat others in small, disconnected ways. Let’s do that today and every day.
Pure Purpose 