William Peterman

This picture captures so much of Dad’s personality and makes me reflect on the times we shared. I have many childhood and adult memories of places we would stop to get a cup of coffee. As a child, I could remember going to Dunkin Donuts at 5am before going out and delivering newspaper. He would always promise to return to Dunkin when we were finished to get me a doughnut, and of course, him a second cup of coffee. I often think back to the times when I would sneak and hide in the back seat of the car so I could run errands with him. His errands always included a stop at the Cambridge House for a “cup of coffee and a bite to eat.” Even though I knew a stop at what I called, “the vegetable house,” (not my favorite place) was bound to happen every time, it never kept me from wanting to go. I loved the time with him and that feeling of being “his favorite little girl.” Being the middle child of five daughters, it was not always easy to get time alone with dad. As I grew into an adult, “Grabbing a cup of Coffee” was a great way to meet him on a weekend morning. A shopping trip to the local Target, or even a trip to Florida, always included a stop for coffee. The only difference is that during the drive to Florida, a stop for coffee and a piece of pie every hour was to “stretch his legs.”Anyone who traveled with him knew a 10 hour trip could easily turn into 15 hours. In the last year of his life, taking him out for coffee was an escape from his day to day and allowed me a way to give him some normalcy. When he could no longer go out for coffee, I brought it to him. Of course, there were times when it wasn’t the right temperature or wasn’t accompanied with a donut, which he would quickly point out. It wasn’t the perfect situation at the time, my only thought was- Dad likes coffee, I’m going to take him coffee. Honestly, it was a way to keep him occupied. At that time, it was all I knew to do. Just so we could spend time together. I didn’t think about the memories that a “cup of coffee” would make at the time or how I would reflect back on a simple picture taken of him at one of his favorite coffee spots. During the numerous coffee stops in his life, he met many people who became his friends along the way. Friends he would travel with, go to the race track with, and care for over the years. I will keep all of those coffee memories and many more with me. I take comfort and celebrate that he is now in a place surrounded by friends and family, where the coffee with two creams is always “warmed up” just right. Love Always Angie