One of the traditions we had with our daughter, Margareta, was that she would get a hot chocolate whenever Dad or Mom got coffee at the coffee shop. On occasion, even the “kids” hot chocolate was too hot for her taste. So, one one visit to a local Peet’s Coffee I decided to taste the hot chocolate before giving it to her to make sure it was a cool enough temperature.
Unfortunately, Margareta saw this, and when I handed it to her, she refused, saying she wanted her own. I tried reasoning with her, but apparently a strong-willed three year old is not open to reason and logic. The protest got louder in the crowded shop. Desperate, but unwilling to be bullied by a three year old into buying an unnecessary new cup of hot chocolate, I turned to the barista and quietly asked if she could take this hot chocolate and pour it into a different cup with a different design on it. She smiled and understood immediately. Then, with the same hot chocolate in a new cup, Miss Margareta was satisfied that she had gotten her own “untouched” cup of hot chocolate.
All I can say is THANK GOODNESS that Peet’s has various designs on their cups. Who knows what would have happened if we were at Starbucks!
This website was inspired by the memory of Margareta Sol Kubitz in hopes of helping others work through the pain of grief.