POSTAL STAMPS HOLD SENTIMENTAL VALUE
Boy, oh boy, those postal carriers and their stamps. Yep, my father was one of those devoted employees of the U.S. Postal Service (see The Jolly Postman, dated August 23, 2022, at sharonmarkcohen.com). He was so proud to purchase a block of “Man on the Moon” stamps for my children.
I can vividly remember my father setting up a tripod in the living room and attaching his camera to take pictures when we watched on television as Neil Armstrong took the first step on the moon. The words that the NASA Astronaut spoke still reverberate. “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,” bellowed Armstrong.
I suppose that memory made a trip to NASA in Houston even more exciting. My husband and I were at a family reunion when our cousin with an inside connection secured our group “Director’s Guest Passes” with special privileges (see Landing At Mission Control, November 6, 2018, at sharonmarkcohen.com).
The moon landing was in 1969, the summer that I met my husband. Nearly three decades later, in 1998, our friendly “mailman,” Anthony, wrote a charming note and gifted us a sheet of stamps, “Comic Strip Classics,” which the children could enjoy. He noted they were collectibles, so we kept them in their protective sleeve.
I came across each gift of stamps when looking through a drawer filled with old calendars (see sharonmarkcohen.com, Baby Steps, dated December 17, 2024) and suggested that our children look up their value. My curiosity got the best of me, and I went to the internet only to be disappointed that their well-meaning treasures do not have much monetary value, however, along with their notes, they hold tremendous sentimental value.
Back they went in the drawer and maybe someday our children will figure out a plan for them. In the meantime, I sent our three adult children photos of the notes and stamps via our family WhatsApp group, rather than USPS, hoping they felt the love and care of two special letter carriers. Sometimes it’s the thought that counts.