Thank You Letters to Holiday Workers, from FedEx Drivers to New Year's Eve Bouncers
Chinese Food Restaurants Employees
Dear Chinese restaurant employees,
Thank you for staying open on Christmas day and indulging my Jewish father in delectable soup dumplings and egg rolls at all hours.
—Claire Stern, Associate Editor
Swenson’s Food Truck
Thank you, oh, thank you, Swenson’s Food Truck in Akron, Ohio for 1) parking right outside Saks Fifth Avenue at midnight on Black Friday and 2) making the most amazing Galley Boy cheeseburgers I’ve ever had. Those delicious sandwiches single-handedly give me the strength to power shop all night long and not get hangry when I’m waiting in the world’s longest dressing room line. Attention shoppers: you haven’t lived until you’ve found the perfect 3.1 Phillip Lim dress for 60% off and then walked outside to see the world’s best cheeseburger waiting for you at 2 a.m.
—Jennifer Ferrise, Senior Editor
Postal Service Employees
Dear Postal Service Employees,
I’m sorry for being impatient and doubting your efficiency every holiday season. It’s not your fault I waited until the eleventh hour to order all of my holiday gifts. You work in blustery, white-out conditions to ensure I get frivolous stocking stuffers and overpriced gifts before Christmas Day. Plus you delivered my holiday cards in record time to nine different states. You are miracle workers. Thank you!
—Lauren Brill, Assistant Photo Editor
Macy's Shoe Department Staff
Dear Black Friday Macy's Shoe Department Staff,
Thank you for indulging my entire family of overly caffeinated women on Black Friday at 6 a.m., as we still follow the tradition of waking up early and going shopping, even though you can get the same deals online two weeks earlier. Also, thank you for inevitably having to go back to the back room a million times, because we all have shoe shopping problems.
—Rachel Crocetti, Digital Producer
Delta Airways Employees
Dear Delta Airways employees,
Thank you for not only saving my butt on many holiday travels (i.e. holding the plane while I run through LaGuardia) but also for dealing with my temper when a flight is delayed.
—Aaron Valentic, International Assistant
John O’Hurley
Dear John O’Hurley (National Dog Show Host),
Thank you for bringing us one of the best things about Thanksgiving every year. We all truly know that the parade has got nothing on the National Dog Show. There is nothing I love more than watching all the dogs prance around on TV while my friends and I gossip about it through group text. Even though my favorite dog never wins I still love it, and please put in a good word for the golden retriever this year. They deserve it! Thanks!
—Kelly Chiello, Associate Photo Editor
USPS, UPS, and FedEx drivers
Dear USPS, UPS, and FedEx drivers,
Thank you for making your way down my parents' long driveway far too many times when my every order inevitably ships in eight different packages, even though each item was supposedly in stock. And thank you for not being too offended by my dog's incessant barking. It's not you. It's him.
—Olivia Bahou, Assistant Digital Editor
New Year's Eve Bouncers and Taxi Drivers
Dear Uber, Lyft, Juno, Via, and taxi drivers, I can't begin to imagine the scenes you witness in your backseats as you usher in the new year. Five stars. Five stars. And dear bouncers, I know I don't always show it, but same.
—Romy Oltuski, Digital Features Director
From Christmas Day FedEx drivers to New Year's Eve bouncers, these are the unsung heroes of the holiday season.