Having a little “Faith” – a Valentine Story

02/02/2017  cyndi@owassoisms.com

“Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night, stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds” – Herodotus, 503 B.C. (Inscribed on the General Post Office facility on 33rd Street and 8th Avenue in New York City.)

In the case of the Owasso Post Office, connecting “young love” can be added to their motto.

On Monday, January 30, Erika Rix answered a knock on her door, finding a postal carrier holding mail on the other side. When she reached to take the mail, the carrier jerked it back in a “not so fast” motion.

 It was not her normal mail carrier and Erika’s  “Is that my mail” look was answered with a “Do you have a child named Faith?”  As Faith is only 8 she was somewhat puzzled.  

The carrier said she had a very special delivery for Faith, but the mail was sent without an address.  After questioning Erika, she was sure she had the right address and gave her the mail.

The carrier told Erika that the letter had been passed around the Post Office, trying to find a carrier with a postal customer named “Rix” on their route. They found one. They then made it their mission to find the intended recipient, as they knew the delivery was very special.

Faith’s mother took the mail. She examined the special delivery and found two pieces of printer paper folded over, made into a card of sorts.  On the front of the card a message was written in a young child’s handwriting:

    To: faith Rix

    From: ???

    3 letters

To the right of the wording was taped a very special shiny, blue stone, heart shaped ring. Plastic, but priceless.

 

 

 

“3 letters” was a little clue as to who the card was from. You see his name has 3 letters – Dax, which we learned from the inside of the card, but we will get to that in a minute.

Erika found the card and its contents adorable, and could not wait to show it to Faith and ask her about Dax. 

When Faith got home from school she asked her who “Dax” was and showed her the card.  Faith, who is a little shy, said he was a boy in her class and that she had known him since they both were at “Kings Kids Preschool.”

Erika, loving the story of the card wondered if Dax’s mother knew he had sent it, so she looked her up on Facebook and sent her a message.

It turns out Dax’s mother, Michelle, did know about the card and how it came to be, and shared a little more to the story. 

One day last week Michelle walked into her sons room and saw he was working on something.  When she asked “What are you working on?” he quickly jumped and covered over the paper he had been writing and answered “nothing.”

A few minutes later her said “Mom, I just need to mail something” and went out to the mailbox and put up the flag.  As the mail had already run for the day, his mother knew it would still be there the next day.

While Dax was at school the next day, Michelle looked in the mailbox to see what he had put in there and found “the letter”.

“I thought it was so sweet and showed it to his grandma” Michelle said.  Grandmother wondered what would have happened if the mail carrier had taken it and asked her.  She said they would have tried to find the recipient if the letter had a last name.   Michelle wanted to keep the letter because it was too cute and put it in his keepsake box.

When Dax came home from school later she explained to Dax that the mailman had not taken the letter and that she had kept it.  Michelle explained that the mailman could not try to get it to her house without a last name.  He told his mother “I don’t want her to know who it is from.”

Dax took his letter, looked up Faith’s last name in his yearbook and added it and a few other notes to his carefully crafted card.

Dax’s changes to the card included adding Faiths last name, and signing the card on the inside. Also on the inside he wrote:

“to:Mailman   I don’t know were she lives but pleas help find her. I hope tommorw at school she will get it pls help.”

How could you not help after that plea?

Michelle told him not to put anything in the letter that he would not say in person because it might make them both feel “weird”.

Once completed, he again put the card into their mailbox and pulled up the arm. Michelle said she had intended to take it out the next day, but forgot. The mailman took it. Michelle admitted to being a little disappointed as she had really wanted to keep it.

Michelle assumed the letter would end up being trashed and didn’t think much about it after that.  That was, until she saw a Facebook message from Erika Rix.  She could not believe the card crafted by Dax had made it to Faith.

On Monday,  the Post Office was able to deliver the card and beautiful blue ring right to Faith’s front door.

At first Michelle decided not to tell Dax that Faith had received it, because she thought it would make him too nervous, but after speaking with Erika on the phone she knew she needed to tell him that Faith knew.

She waited to tell Dax the next morning.  When she told him, she said he started to tear up, and said he did not want to go to school that day. Michelle talked to him about it and told him he should feel good about it because he made someone’s day.  She also mentioned the article being shared on Owassoisms he got excited saying he didn’t want anyone to know BUT did want both his and Faith’s photo in the article.

Puppy Love…..it’s hard to forget the first one.

In this case, it may be even harder for Faith and Dax to forget, as now their story has been shared with thousands, and that innocent pull of young love to Dax’s heartstrings, has now brought smiles to many.

Hopefully, years from now, they can both look back and smile at such a sweet memory from their childhood. 

 

 

 

 

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