Kindness and Pizza: The Perfect Recipe

Today wasn’t exactly a page-turner in the story of our little cafe in Maine. We’re in that strange, quiet space before a big change—the last day before we close our doors for good. There’s a bittersweet feeling in the air: a little sadness, a little relief, and a lot of “Did we really do this?” swirling around. It’s funny how the right thing can feel so heavy, but also so right. Letting go of a dream is never easy, but sometimes you have to make space for new dreams to find you.

We’ve been staying at the Spacious Skies campground in Abbot, Maine, which has been a lovely little home base for the last few days. But, as luck would have it, the holiday weekend meant "no room at the inn" for us and our trusty RV. Enter our neighbor—well, former neighbor now—who offered up his property for us to park as long as we needed. Not only that, but he insisted we use his generator (saving us from buying one), which did mean we had to fill our RV water tank and make it last until we could move back to full hook ups. I’ll be honest: I like full hook-ups! Unlimited water and electricity are luxuries you don’t appreciate until you’re counting every drop and watt!

But here’s the “Something Good” for today: kindness, once again, found in the people around us. That same neighbor came over one day and introduced himself shortly after we moved in and had a friendly chat with Chris—something we hadn’t experienced much before moving here. This was back when the snow had just melted and “Mud Season” was in full swing. Our driveway was a disaster—think “put your truck in 4-wheel drive and pray” kind of mess.

The next morning, we decided to get up early and head to our favorite farmers market in Skowhegan (which, fun fact, was the first place we ever served coffee in Maine!). We spent a few hours soaking in the local flavors and community spirit, and when we returned home, we were greeted by an unexpected surprise: our driveway was no longer a muddy mess. While we were out, our amazing neighbor had brought his tractor down and scraped the mud away, making it so much easier for us to get to our house.

I’m not usually a crier, but that act of kindness got me. We’d been struggling since arriving in Maine: the house was a project, we missed our family, and everything felt a little overwhelming. That small gesture changed everything. It reminded me of the where I grew up—a small, off-the-beaten-path place where neighbors look out for each other. The way life should be. Maine didn’t get its slogan for nothing. The world could use a little more “Maine” in it.

Now, if you’re wondering why there’s a photo of pizza at the top of this post, here’s the story: I wanted to thank our neighbor for his generosity by making him pizza while we “camped” in his yard. Of course, the rain decided to make a dramatic return after weeks of nothing so the outdoor pizza oven was a no-go. But with a little creativity (and a pizza stone in the RV oven), we managed a pretty decent pie. It was a small gesture of gratitude for a neighbor who became a friend.

So, as we prepare to say goodbye to our cafe and this chapter of our lives, I’m reminded that kindness—no matter how big or small—can make all the difference. Thank you, neighbor, for showing us the best of Maine. And thank you, Maine, for reminding us that sometimes, the best things in life are the simplest: a helping hand, a muddy driveway, and a homemade pizza shared with a friend.

Here’s to new adventures, and to always finding “something good” in every day.