The Mail

We've become accustomed to most of our shopping being done online and things being delivered to our door. We rarely go out shopping and if we do, it's only to find things that we use rarely and which are not carried in either of the grocery stores where we pick up our groceries from weekly or from Target or Amazon or any of the other companies we order from.

This week brought packages from a company called Earth Science where an Earth Day sale prompted me to order their fragrance-free shampoo and conditioner, three bottle of each. We also had packages from Target with eyedrops, soap, lotion, and household supplies for cleaning. A box of twenty-two yards of Bella Solids fabric arrived from Missouri Star Quilt Company.

We've become accustomed to the world delivered to our doorstep. Costco sent vacuum cleaners and toilet paper and things like nuts and chocolate chips and dried fruit. Our pets' food and treats come from Chewy. Our coffee comes from Nespresso. Dick Blick sends art supplies. Amazon supplies us with things like tea, vitamins, and groceries from Whole Foods as well as little things we need 'round the house. Penzey's ships spices. Ikea ships furniture. Clinique sends skin care. EltaMD sends sunscreen. Thriftbooks ships used books. Zenni sends prescription eyeglasses.

The shipping boxes overwhelm the measly recycling bin so we've made a cardboard mountain in the garage.

Our clothes come in the mail. Jeans shipped from Levis. Our computers shipped directly from Apple. My quilting table task lamps shipped from Ott Light. Surgical masks came from Amazon and KF94 masks from behealthyusa.com. Gourmet snacks ship from Japan, mochi and senbei. A queen-sized mattress arrived in a heavy box and, once freed, unfurled itself over several hours.

The whole world is delivered to our door and usually the only notification that things have arrived is the dog, barking mad at the delivery trucks in his driveway.

Tonight though, there was a knock on our door, something that's only happened three times since we moved here eight months ago. Once it was Amazon's delivery driver letting us know that she had left a package (tea) on the porch. Once it was a former neighbor who kept Dave talking for a long time with a tale of woe regarding his unfinished house and his lack of funds. Tonight it was a neighbor bearing three pieces of misdelivered mail: A piece of junk mail for Dave's mother; an insurance document from Dave's father; a check from the insurance company, my part of my father's life insurance policy payout.

I opened the envelope and cried. I don't know why my father kept me and my brother on his insurance policy when neither of us had had any contact with him for years. Decades. Another mystery that will never have an answer as far as I'm concerned. 

This is what it comes down to in the end.