73. Postal Service

            Sometimes the most obvious aspects of our lives go overlooked and underappreciated. They are those things that we really couldn’t even live without but because of that we almost view them as part of ourselves and forget to be thankful for them sometimes, even complaining about them in little ways—“I wish my hair weren’t so frizzy,” or “I wish my eyes were brown like hers.” That same under appreciation can also apply to our lives as Americans.

            The Post Office is one such American institution that truly is under appreciated. We have always relied on the Post Office to get our messages, gifts and trinkets to our friends and loved ones. Now we shop online and expect those parcels to somehow magically appear at our doors. And they do. That magic is all because of the American Postal Service. And I, for one, am an American who really feels glad that we have such a service. So next time you grouse about the price of that stamp of your favorite cartoon character, remember the magic is there and be thankful.