Two Syracuse Boys Thank Their Mail Carrier With Sweet Letter and Cookies

Sometimes it's the smallest things in life that make the biggest impact. Two Syracuse boys used a snow day to honor their mail lady on National Thank a Mail Carrier Day.

Tuesday, February 4th was National Thank a Mail Carrier Day. It was also a day off from school for most kids in central New York thanks to winter storm Orlena. Syracuse-Minoa School Superintendent Dr. Donna DeSiato encouraged her students to use the snow day to perform a random act of kindness.

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4-year-old Travis Howley, and his brother, Patrick took the suggestion to heart, writing a letter for their mail carrier, Michele Kinney. "When our sitter got to our house she asked what the boys wanted to do for their act of kindness," says mom Shannon Howley. "Travis said he wanted to make cookies for the mail lady. She and Travis made peanut butter chocolate chip cookies and she wrote what he wanted to say in a little thank you note."

Patrick, like all boys, only likes to wear shorts and T-shirts when he's at home. "He trudged out into the snow and put the cookies and letter in the mail box for her," Howley says.

The act of kindness came at just the right time for Kinney who was struggling. "Thank you Travis for making a tough day awesome," said Kinney.

Mom couldn't be prouder of her two boys and is amazed at the reaction to their act of kindness. "I would never have thought a little gesture like cookies and a thank you note would have such an impact," she says. "Syracuse-Minoa is really such a great district and encourages so many fundamentals at school as we do at home. The motto at Patrick's school is 'be safe, be respectful, be prepared, and be responsible. Make it a great day or not, the choice is yours.' They say it takes a village and we for sure have that."

Kinney hope others will follow the boy's lead. "Let’s keep Travis’ and Patrick’s gesture going and do something kind for someone this week."