Thanksgiving offers us an opportunity to come together to reflect, remember and give thanks. In that spirit, I want to express my gratitude for your hard work and dedication to the Postal Service this year.

We continued to make a lot of changes in 2013, but thanks to you, our customer service and productivity never faltered. In fact, we grew one of the most promising parts of our organization — our package delivery service, which rose 8 percent this year. This growth holds tremendous potential for us, because every day, more people go online to shop, work and do business. Thanks to you, we’re there to serve them.

You also did a tremendous job dealing with storms and other forms of severe weather this year. You kept the mail moving, delivering prescriptions, Social Security checks and packages. What impresses me most is how you never fail to provide outstanding service to our customers, even when you’re dealing with your own disaster-related hardships at home. I appreciate it, and I know our customers do, too.

We faced a lot of challenges in 2013, including the loss of members of our own postal family. Please join me in honoring these colleagues and sending condolences to their families and friends. I know we won’t forget them and the loved ones they’ve left behind, especially as we move into the holiday season.

In the coming weeks, our customers will once again turn to us to deliver their holiday cards and packages. We’ve also launched Sunday package delivery, and we continue to offer more products and services in more convenient locations. These are valuable opportunities for us, and I know we’ll all work together to make the most of them.

So once again, thanks for everything you do for the Postal Service, our customers and our country as a whole. Please know how much I appreciate your efforts, and have a good Thanksgiving.