Writing prompt – Day 3

3/18/2024

1:59 am

This is day 3’s writing prompt.

This was one of my favorites to write.

Day 3 – Mystery Cookie

One day you come into work and find a cookie mysteriously placed on your desk.  Grateful to whoever left this anonymous cookie you eat it.  The next morning you come in and find another cookie.  This continues for months until one day a different object is left – and this time there’s a note.

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Linda came into the office that morning and was hoping to see another delicious chocolate chip cookie or maybe another fancy iced sugar cookie but there was only a note.

When this started 3 months ago it took her a few weeks to realize that she was the only one getting these mysteriously appearing treats.

At first, well after she found out that she was the only one getting them, she became hesitant to keep eating them.  Why was someone leaving them?  Who was leaving them?  Did she know them?  Was it that really cute delivery driver from UPS?  Wishful thinking but no, it wasn’t him.  Then who?

After all the irrational thoughts about who and why she then became scared.  Was someone slowly trying to poison her?  Unlikely, because she was still alive.  After some late-night internet searches, she realized that she would have already died.  So they weren’t poisonous.

Ok, so why was she getting them, and who was sending them?

When she first started receiving them, she was going through a rough patch so it became a welcome distraction.  A little mystery and intrigue in her otherwise mundane existence.

Linda had broken up with her boyfriend of two years, suffered through the resulting depression and it affected her work performance.  She was passed over for promotion.

She began to feel like what was the point.  The stress was becoming too much.   She had decided that Friday that changes needed to occur but what kind was the question?  The following Monday was the first cookie.

It was a delicious and beautiful-looking iced sugar cookie wrapped up in a clear treat bag with a pink ribbon. It had this beautiful design and coloring to look like a field of flowers.  Pretty shades of purple, pink, and green.  At first, she wasn’t going to eat it because it was too pretty to eat.  As the day dragged on hunger struck and it was devoured with her afternoon coffee.

It was so light and crisp with a hint of lemon and lavender.  It wasn’t overly sweet like the sugar cookies her Aunt Betty made at Christmas.  It was rather pleasant. 

After she ate the cookie, she seemed to feel better.  Maybe it was just the effects of the sugar or maybe not, she wasn’t sure.

The next morning, she came in and there was another cookie.  This time it was a chocolate chip one and she didn’t wait for her afternoon coffee, devouring it on the way to a weekly team meeting.  The day seemed so much better.

This continued for months and was becoming her daily habit.  So much so that she started putting on some extra weight and had to ramp up her daily fitness.  That’s when she met Brian. 

He was new to the weekly yoga class. He set up his yoga mat next to Linda and they started chatting. This went on for a few classes then chatting turned into coffee, then dinner, and then a movie. They began seeing each other regularly and to Linda, it was fun having someone to talk to again.  Her mood and outlook were improving greatly.

The improvement in her attitude had been noticed by the team manager.  He asked Linda to be a part of an upcoming trip to the headquarters for additional training. The headquarters is located in London.  She was so excited because she had never been to Europe and had always dreamed of traveling abroad.  Things were starting to become more positive again.

Today instead of a cookie she received a note.  The morning meeting was cancelled so Linda took the note and went to the outside break area with coffee in hand to read it before starting the day.

Dear Miss Linda,

I wanted to write to you and let you know how happy I am for you and to tell you that I will no longer be able to leave your daily cookie and the reason why.

Several months ago, I found a crumpled-up note on the floor and what was written made me feel so sad but hopeful. In that moment someone else was going through the same pain I was feeling and it let me know that I wasn’t alone. Others felt the same way.

From the outside looking in we have this misconception based solely on appearance.  I saw this successful woman with so many opportunities before her but she could not see her potential.  She could not see her ability to make herself happy. She was only seeing sadness and despair. I wanted to let her know she wasn’t alone. We are all in this together. 

So I left you a little treat made by me to hopefully brighten your day.  I wasn’t sure if you would eat it but found the wrapper.

It made me smile to know that I made a small impact on someone else.  It made me happy enough to do it again the next day.

Every day that I left you a treat gave me a reason to keep going myself. Those moments unknowingly tied people together to support each other. Sometimes a little support goes a long way.

I was facing tremendous changes in my life about the same time as you. My marriage of 17 years had ended and was going through bouts of depression. I was facing financial difficulties, trying to raise my two youngest children and just be there for them all the while finishing college. 

I know how it feels to be in that space where the loneliness is so overwhelming and it doesn’t seem like it will ever get better but it does. You have to continue to remain positive and give it time.  It eventually works out in the end. 

I can no longer leave you our daily cookie because I finished college and graduated. I just finalized the paperwork for my new job and will be moving closer to where my children live with their father.

I only took this part-time job, here at your company, to earn some extra income until I completed school.

Now that it is time for me to move on, I hope nothing but the best for you and wish you nothing but good luck in whatever opportunities come along.

Remember, you are never alone and there is always someone out there to support you when you need it the most.   

Sincerely,

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Thank you for stopping by.

Have a wonderful day!

Peace, love, happiness, and good vibes, always!

Suzanne