Unless you’re home during the day, odds are you don’t pay that much attention to your mail carrier. But they sure as heck pay attention to you.
In addition to knowing where you live and whether you’ve collected the mail, many postal workers will take note of whether your car has moved over the past few days or if packages are piling up.
And, as this story proves, that can be a really good thing.
The Mail Was Piling Up
Kayla Berridge was walking her normal nine-mile delivery route in a small New Hampshire town when she realized mail had been piling up for about four days at one resident’s home. It was odd to Berridge, as she and the 80-year-old woman who lived there would sometimes exchange pleasantries.
“I hadn’t seen her in a while, and I noticed her mail wasn’t getting picked up, so I got a little concerned,” Berridge told CNN.
“I just had a gut feeling and wanted to make sure,” she added to an ABC News affiliate. “Most people put a hold in if they're not there, so when people pick up their mail every day, you start to notice their habits.”
Berridge followed her intuition and called the police to come and do a wellness check on the resident. Little did the postal worker know that she was about to save a life.
The Woman Had Been Struggling for Days
Inside the home, the Newmarket Police Department found the woman trapped on her bedroom floor under a bunch of artwork and frames. They estimated she had tried to grab her bed for support, but the items fell on her, trapping her for at least three days.
She was suffering from hypothermia and dehydration when they found her, but otherwise, she was okay. And it was all thanks to Berridge taking note of the situation and following her gut.
“We just think it's indicative of a small town and the mail carriers and the residents knowing each other and realizing something might not be right and reaching out to the proper authorities,” Newmarket police Lt. Wayne Stevens told the ABC affiliate.
To CNN, he added that had Berridge not taken action; this woman would have had a much different outcome.
“Without a doubt, she saved this lady’s life,” he said. “That’s part of being a letter carrier in a small town and taking your job to the next level. She did a great job.”
Listening to Your Intuition
Most of us don’t go out of our way to find ourselves in a situation where another person needs our help, so it can be hard to know what to do when we are in a moment where our actions could have a major impact.
Berridge had never been in this situation before, and she could have easily ignored her gut or waited another day to make the phone call to the police. But by trusting her instincts and doing what she thought was right, she saved a life.
It’s a nice reminder that if you do find yourself in a similar situation where something doesn’t look right, you should act on it. Ask questions, don’t be afraid to step in, and if you really think it’s necessary, call someone for help.
After all, as Berridge proved, it could be the difference between life and death.
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