Retail Associate Ellen Schlie is well known in her Columbia, MO, community for being a friendly face behind the window.
She found out just how well known when a customer posted a shoutout on social media describing Schlie’s kind assistance on a distressing day.
Nearly 200 Facebook “amens!” followed, inspiring a local television news reporter to make Schlie the focus of a feature last month.
Schlie, who has been with the Postal Service for more than 30 years, told the reporter, “I truly love the front window. I’ve had students that have gone all the way through school, gotten married, come back and introduced me to their children.”
The original poster, Shamon Williams, told the reporter that “I came in with a bit of distress” on the day in question and that Schlie had “this calm about her. She has this patience.”
When Williams left the Post Office with “a genuine smile,” she felt that such kindness should not go unacknowledged and decided to post her praise.
The responses came flooding in:
“I knew immediately, by your description, that you were talking about Ellen. I’ve never seen her in a bad mood.”
“I know which lady you are talking about. She really does make a difference in your day!”
“I actually step back and let others go first so I can wait for Ellen!”
Schlie was touched but modest about her uplifting effect on others. “It’s the one thing I can do that doesn’t really cost and I also found out that frowning uses more muscles than smiling,” she said.
“I’m really lazy. So, I smile all the time. I bet I smile in my sleep!” she said with — yes — a smile.
