The letter carriers deserve good reviews, for sure, but many people don't realize the clerks on the afternoon and night shifts ALSO have to make it through all kinds of inclement weather to work the mail up to have it ready for the carriers in the morning to take it out and deliver to their routes. I was a Postal Service clerk for 30 years, and the only acceptable excuse for not making it into work, especially during the Christmas rush, was "your OWN funeral!" But even through all the crazy long hours, it was a good feeling to know that we were helping to make Christmas happen for so many others.
The carriers would chide the clerks, saying we had to make it in to work to have their mail ready to take out and get the glory for delivering in those same weather conditions! :o) But it was all good teamwork.