A random act of beauty at post office

A “random act of kindness” — this is the true spirit of Christmas, and the holidays.

On Nov. 29, a Monday here in Kaaawa, some kind-spirited, anonymous person planted a sweet garden in front of our little old post office, a space once filled with just weeds and rocks. Now it is filled with poinsettias, various other holiday flowers, and creatively, even a little wooden picket fence has been put up against the building.

Upon arriving to work that day, our beloved postmasters, Jodi Wade and Chad Bracewell, were greatly surprised, and so filled with joy as, lo and behold, a beautiful, professional-looking garden had been planted.

Everyone in the neighborhood knows our much-needed little post office because our mail does not get delivered here: every day, we visit the post office. Since I’ve lived here, nearly five years, I‘ve never even really noticed that space.

For so long, our (Jodie Foster look-alike) postmaster Jodi wished for the time to plant a garden herself, something simple in that ugly space, on her own dime — but she arrives very early, leaves late, the office is always packed, and she lives on the Leeward side. She very badly wanted that space prettied up.

Just as guilty, I never offered either, as I just didn’t think of it — and as I mentioned, never even really noticed the area. Our helpful friends and postmasters, Jodi and Chad, are on a first-name basis with everyone (if they don’t mind); they call me Ms. Nancy and I love it, and they are good friends to all. They make me feel so special when I come in, usually in a hurry, and a bit grumpy, yet smiling, and chipper Jodi always seems to help me pull myself together, and I leave our post office with a smile.

I’m writing this to those, like me, who are a bit “humbug” or “Grinch-like” about the holidays because it has become so commercial.

When I saw that garden, though, it brought tears of happiness to my eyes, as it made me wake up to the fact that good, yes even kind, people do exist. You could tell it was planted as a gesture of love and consideration, and that’s what the holidays are really all about, right?

We’re now all playing “Magnum P.I.” to find out “who dun it,” so we can thank and compliment them — as we cherish our little post office and, most of all, our postmasters.

Happy Holidays to all.

Nancy Jones Karp, a former music/ entertainment executive and boutique-shops owner from L.A., is writing a book and works part-time as a business developer.