Letter-Writing Kid's Sweet Saga With USPS Will Bring On The Feels

Author image for Ada Elder
Ada Elder
May 4, 2020 11:00 AM EDT

With much of the world feeling alienated right now, it's nice to read happy and wholesome stories of how people are managing to connect with one another despite the isolating effects of the pandemic. Twitter user Hugh Weber took to the site with a heartwarming tale about his eleven year old daughter, Emerson. The girl has a love for writing beautiful letters, and after thanking her local mailman for his duties with a decorated message, she attracted the attention of his supervisor, Sara. The supervisor shared Emerson's story with USPS workers all over the country, and now Emerson has a few hundred pen pals. The story is a an inspiring reminder of how important it is to maintain connections with our fellow humans - now, more than ever. It's also a reminder that analog methods of communication can mean a hell of a lot more than a text, if you're able to write out a real letter. 

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  • 01
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber Emerson, my 11 year old, is on a bit of a wild ride with the @USPS and our local mail carrier, Doug. And, I think there's a deeper message to it all. First, the backstory... 7:45 PM · 5/2/20 · Twitter for iPhone
    via @hughweber
  • 02
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber Em has a serious letter writing habit. She maintains active correspondence with over a dozen of her favorite people. And, if you've been the lucky recipient of one of Em's hand decorated letters and envelopes, then you have a pretty good idea of the joy they bring. Fore THe Smtbs los
    via @hughweber
  • 03
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber A letter from Emerson is likely to include some art, a joke or two, a mention of her younger brother, confessions of her love for Taylor Swift and enough questions to guarantee a response. 7:46 PM · 5/2/20 · Twitter for iPhone
    via @hughweber
  • 04
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber So, when she decided to thank our mail carrier for the service he provides us, she left nothing out. In went Taylor Swift, in went the little brother, in went the jokes. Q: Why do you never see elephants hiding in trees? A: Because they're really good at it. 7:46 PM 5/2/20 · Twitter for iPhone
    via @hughweber
  • 05
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber Em wrote, "I'm Emerson. You may know me as the person that lives here that writes a lot of letters & decorated the envelopes. WellI, 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." 7:46 PM 5/2/20 · Twitter for iPhone
    via @hughweber
  • 06
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber She continued, "The reason you are very 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!" 7:46 PM · 5/2/20 · Twitter for iPhone
    via @hughweber
  • 07
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber She put it in the box, smiled when he took it & that was enough. The next day a package arrived with some stamps & two letters. Doug had shared Em's letter with his supervisor, Sara, and they both wanted to share how touched they were by her note. RITY Enre witer
    via @hughweber
  • 08
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber Sara said that, as an essential worker, Doug might not be able to maintain regular correspondence, but she sure could. Em started writing that very afternoon. 11:34 PM · 5/3/20 · Twitter for iPad
    via @hughweber
  • 09
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber This is when things get interesting. The next week, we got a letter address to "Mr and Mrs Weber." It seems that Sara had shared Em's note as a "Token of Thanks" in the internal newsletter for the Western US and there were some postal folks that wanted to thank her.
    via @hughweber
  • 10
    Text - Dear Parents of Emerson Weber, When your daughter wrote to her letter carrier, he showed the letter to me and asked if I could respond in some way to express his gratitude and I gladly did. I wrote her back and also submitted the story to an inner USPS Newsletter. Since this happened to gain nationwide attention, there are people from many different states expressing that they would also like to write to Emerson. I wanted to let you know that she already has two letters in and more to com
    via @hughweber
  • 11
    Font - Hugh Weber @hughweber Today, we saw Doug getting out of the truck with two BOXES of letters from around the country. We snapped a quick photo through the door as he and Emerson met for the first time. It was a beautiful moment on silent reciprocity.
    via @hughweber
  • 12
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber These letters are so deeply human. They are filled with family, pets, hobbies, community and an overwhelming sense of kindness. Letter for Ereren 6 Sas. Bell 40 S Techrepls Dr S falls tManifeld S fastal Servee sestm on Maie St e Randlph ne 68rN Letta ar Emeron 4709 STEchnoplis Dr Siouy fall, SD dater fou Emu 57106 - C000 diour fast so Holma 70-anos 502 Tor Emereon Saua Bell Technopis as Bell for Emer
    via @hughweber
  • 13
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber Because Em was fully vulnerable, they were too. Em shared jokes, so they shared jokes. Em share her brother, so every gift that was sent came in duplicate. Em shared @TaylorSwift13 and it turns out that the US Postal service is filled with lots of undercover Swifties. 1:34 AM 5/4/20 Twitter for iPad
    via @hughweber
  • 14
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber One maintenance manager from Minnesota wanted to inspire her to start collecting stamps so he sent along two stamps of his own from the bulletin board in his office to start her collection. MINNEBOTA AHO MINNEBOTA STATO USA 20c 1982 192 20e Franklin D Roosevelt Franklin D. Roosevelt Lette Sanad B SH06
    via @hughweber
  • 15
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber And, they sent stamps to be used as well. Stamps for her to write back. Stamps for her to write others. Stamps, stamps, stamps. (218 by Em's count.) Sld and Scenic ট়
    via @hughweber
  • 16
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber But, there was something more in these letters. People felt seen - some for the first time in a long time. "I work alone in a small rural post office..." "My kids all live far away.." "Not a lot of people think about how hard we work..." 1:34 AM · 5/4/20 · Twitter for iPad
    via @hughweber
  • 17
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber 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." And another, "I know you can't write back to all of us, but maybe I can drop you a line from time to time?" 1:34 AM 5/4/20 · Twitter for iPad
    via @hughweber
  • 18
    Text - With dozens of new pen pals, Em did what she does best. She wrote the dad. She wrote his son. She assured the secret swifties not to be embarrassed because her dad likes TSwift, too. She acknowledged that there WERE a lot of letter but that she had time. She sees them all.
    via @hughweber
  • 19
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber I'm not sharing this because l'm a proud dad. I'm sharing it because it is relatively easy, if we take the time, to give others the one thing they need to be well - human connection. Thave a friend that says we all just want to be seen, known and loved. Em does this boldly. 1:34 AM 5/4/20 · Twitter for iPad <>
    via @hughweber
  • 20
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber It's #MentalHealthAwareness month and I want to be bold and brave like Em. We're all in a moment of physical isolation that is amplifying a real epidemic of loneliness, anxiety and depression. I've been feeling it personally since long before we locked our front door. 1:34 AM · 5/4/20 · Twitter for iPad
    via @hughweber
  • 21
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber In the second week of quarantine, I responded to hundreds of DMs from creatives who are feeling this disconnect in a significant way. Theard from college students to senior executives who personally and professionally are stressed, worried and/or afraid. 1:34 AM - 5/4/20 · Twitter for iPad
    via @hughweber
  • 22
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber Two weeks ago, I personally started working with a Talkspace therapist for the 1st time. For years l've travelled the country talking about relationships of influence, but Il've used that travel as an excuse not to seek the support I know I need. This pause gave me time to act. 1:34 AM · 5/4/20 · Twitter for iPad
    via @hughweber
  • 23
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber Ihave incredible family & friends, but the truth is that I needed more. And, sending texts via an app has been the small step I needed. Moral of the story: it's the small things that matter most, friends. 1:34 AM · 5/4/20 · Twitter for iPad
    via @hughweber
  • 24
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber Send a letter. Make a call. Practice self care. Take a step of boldness. For yourself or for others. And, thank your mail carrier (from an appropriate distance.) They are working extremely hard to keep us all connected. 1:34 AM · 5/4/20 · Twitter for iPad
    via @hughweber
  • 25
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber And, if any of you are feeling isolated, anxious, scared or depressed, those feelings are valid. I'm feeling them, too. And, I'm here if you need me. 1:34 AM · 5/4/20 · Twitter for iPad
    via @hughweber
  • 26
    Text - Hugh Weber @hughweber We weren't sure that a day could be more emotional than yesterday, but - my friends - you've topped it. We're seeing all of your replies & retweets. We're reading them aloud as a family. We're absolutely in awe of the ripples of impact that have come from one letter. #WeSeeYou 1:34 AM · 5/4/20 · Twitter for iPad
    via @hughweber

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