Ergo, the Ogre

A large, sprawling oak tree with thick branches covered in green moss, surrounded by lush greenery in a natural setting.

It’s Fandango’s Flashback Friday! This week I’ve chosen a post I had forgotten about from 2018.

It’s the Mindlovemisery’s Menagerie Sunday Writing Prompt – Countdown! Today’s writing prompt is a letter to Santa Claus.

Dear Santa Claus,

How are you? I am fine and hope you are the same.

I’ve been pretty good this year, considering. Don’t you think? There’s a lot of things I could’ve done but didn’t do. There’s also a lot of things I should’ve done, but didn’t do. It evens out though, right?

This year, I want something extra special. If anyone can pull this off, it’s you. Are you ready?

I would like it if you could arrange for me to spend one more day with my mom. It’s been almost 15 years, I know, but a person never gets too old to stop needing their mom. I’m sure you miss your mom, too.

That said, I want to do all the fun things we used to do together, one last time. Like shopping. Mom & I used to love to go to the shopping malls. Now, malls aren’t the same now as they were then. Since she’s been gone the internet has changed everything, so maybe you could fix it so the malls would be like we remember them in the 1980s and 90s. You know, like Cherry Creek Mall and Villa Italia (of blessed memory). Oh, and maybe we could swing by Randhurst (also demolished) in Mount Prospect. That’s where we used to go when I was little and we still lived in the Chicago area. It had those cool animal statues that kids could climb on. I even saw you there once! Remember?

Would you please put Randhurst back together and make it like it was, in say, 1964? Just for a day is all.

Then after that, we could settle in for the night and play Scrabble. We had more fun playing that game!

This is probably asking a lot, but (on a different day, of course) I’d also like one last Zuraff family reunion with everyone who is still here and passed on. We would all have to be young enough and healthy so we could all enjoy ourselves. It would be just like it was— at Aunt Franny & Uncle My’s house on Euclid, where our reunions were always held. I guess that means you’d have to get rid of the people who live in their house now, and of course, put the giant weeping willow tree back in the yard. But only for a day.

That’s what I really want, Santa, for things to be just like they were, one last time.

You can do this for me, right?

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Susie

SusanWritesPrecise/Susan Marie Shuman
Randhurst Mall in Mount Prospect, IL
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Ergo, the Ogre

Susan Marie Shuman is an author and freelance writer/editor who currently resides in the wilds of Birmingham, AL. She shares her life with two spoiled cats, several friends (not all of them imaginary) and one husband. When she’s not working, Susan enjoys horseback riding, reading, taking her cats for a spin in their pet stroller, and taking naps. An ex-bartender, recovering crash test dummy, and all-around late bloomer, Susan graduated from the University of South Alabama in 2004 with a BA in English. She minored in Russian. Long-range goals include visiting Israel, the Czech Republic and Liechtenstein. Susan is also planning to launch a micronation which would be called either Suzannistan or Eastern Suzanorovia.

12 responses to “Like it Was”

  1. pensitivity101 Avatar
    pensitivity101

    I would love one more day with my Mum and my Dad, but they’ve come to me in my dreams, as have everyone I loved, Maggie too, who has passed on.

    Reply
    1. The Abject Muse Avatar
      The Abject Muse

      Same here. I just wish they’d drop by more often.

      Reply
      1. pensitivity101 Avatar
        pensitivity101

        Always in my heart though.

      2. The Abject Muse Avatar
        The Abject Muse

        Always and Forever.

      3. pensitivity101 Avatar
        pensitivity101

        :)

  2. The Abject Muse Avatar
    The Abject Muse

    I’m sure they are. That was the writing prompt today though; to write a letter to Santa with child-like wonder and adult wishes. It was an ass-kicker to write, but cathartic.

    Reply
  3. Michael Avatar
    Michael

    Hi Susan, I don’t think we ever stop missing our mums. Mine died 35 years ago and I think what I miss is seeing her enjoy all the grandkids and great grandkids that have come along since then. Christmas brings back all those memories. I enjoyed your letter, made me think about my mother and what she meant to me. Hope you have a great christmas.

    Reply
    1. The Abject Muse Avatar
      The Abject Muse

      Hi Michael, I think you are right, we never stop missing our moms. Even though it’s been almost 15 years since my mom passed, it feels like it could’ve been yesterday.

      I hope you have a nice Christmas, too.

      Reply
      1. Jeff Dunmyre Avatar
        Jeff Dunmyre

        That’s the tallest order I’ve ever gotten as Santa. Children’s wishes are much simpler!!!

  4. wildchild47 Avatar
    wildchild47

    ahhh, the memories that we treasure and hope they can somehow, just fill and bridge the gap of loss, – of missing special loved ones, especially during the holidays …. and maybe, for all that does change, as time and places sweep into the new, we can still find ways, however small, to hold the most important aspects in our hearts, – the laughter, the joys, even the tears too – and if we’re really lucky, perhaps, are blessed to actually hold in hand, some token of something past –
    a piece of jewelry, or perhaps a hand-made ornament, or something that seems hardly worthy of today’s “glitter for gold” – but as we know, tarnished doesn’t mean trash —-

    so I hope you find the slices of small but oh so valuable and meaningful that speak to you, not only during this holiday season, but that you can carry with you well passed – so each day is filled with brightness and light in love – I think this is a wonderful wish Susie, – thank you for writing to the Sunday writing prompt – and may your holidays truly be filled with wonder and magic.

    Reply
    1. The Abject Muse Avatar
      The Abject Muse

      Thank you, wildchild. I appreciate you! :-)

      Reply
      1. wildchild47 Avatar
        wildchild47

        thank you – how kind :0 hope you have a wonderful rest of the weekend and a most excellent week to come Susan

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