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Health & Fitness

"A Good Egg": Dedicated in Memory of Maddie Healey

Amy's unusual view is an attempt to live deeply with extraordinary gratitude in an ordinary life.

I am so sad to say after I wrote this last week, Maddie Healey (the Maddie named in this writing) died in a car accident on Sunday Feb. 19..I am happy to know she knew I was writing about her because I asked her how to spell her name. I am sad she never saw this piece. It is my hope she knew she was special. I know that for me, she made my life less difficult. Warm blessings on all who loved her and all the young people in this accident.

 

“An amiable, basically nice person. For example, You can always count on her to help; she's a good egg.”

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I love a good egg. If you were looking for a good egg, I recommend The Beach Rose Cafe. It is located on Brown Street and has outside seating over the water in Wickford. 

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It is filled with good eggs. (I don’t just mean a delicious over easy egg, next to well-made home fries.)

I mean people.

So, I am new in town and I also love coffee so I started to come to the Café. First I met Erin, who occasionally commented on what I was wearing to the positive.

I was thrilled. I care a little about fashion and to have some positive words from a twenty-something about “my look,” well, I was pleased.

Then, I met Maddie who might be the friendliest person I know. As I am writing this blog entry, she brought chalk to the customer next to me who was writing on the chalkboard table.

“This chalk works a bit better,” she said.

One time I came in feeling sick and Maddie made me a “vitamin C” drink.

“This always kicks it,” she said.  

She was effortlessly thoughtful and interested in the customers. She made sure to introduce me to the new server Jillian as “Amy – she’s one of the regulars.” When you are new in town as I am, such consideration is most welcome.

Full disclosure: I am at the café a lot. Not everyday, but almost everyday. Often, I am reading, writing occasionally, bringing a friend or having a work meeting there.

Not once. Not one time in an entire year have I heard a cross word or watched a tense interaction between the young women who work there.

Not. Once.

Now, I was a waitress back when we were called waitresses
and not servers. Back when “getting hit on” meant a better tip – not sexual harassment. I know that the work is high pressure: that people who are hungry, waiting and in “the season” hot can be rude, short and irritable.

I learned that those interactions went better if there was no “reaction” from me. It was a difficult task to practice kindness in the face of another person’s less than kindness.

Still that is service.

I mean isn’t it what life is all about? It was George Eliot who said: “What do we live for, if not to make life less difficult for each other?”

I have been watching these women and I have noticed they don’t always get tipped.
The place has food on paper plates and you order at the register so some people may not think they are supposed to tip. (You are supposed to tip! Please leave tips everywhere you receive service. This is what those folks live on.)
However, I have only seen these women speak with genuine respectful thoughtfulness to all the humanity that comes through the door.

I know that for people to work that hard and be that “on” every day that they feel appreciated and well treated by the owners
Tim and Jamie Sharp are the owners and I do not see them a lot because they are often in the back making healthy,
delicious food or making sure the food is fresh that is served there.

Early on I imagined there was no chef that the women went in the back and like “I Dream of Jeannie” blinked the meals. (I have a vivid imagination,) 

The food is terrific…and they serve breakfast and lunch. I recommend the salmon wrap, the New England clam chowder. Also, I recommend the eggs. Oh! And Incredible Ice Tea, sweet or not sweet – whatever your pleasure!

There are charming “lobster” pagers to let you know when your meal is ready. (Although us “regulars” don’t usually need them.)

The place has the chalkboard tables so kids and adults alike can draw. The deck seating over the water is so serene. Sometimes I walk over from home with my pup Scout so we can watch ducks while we sip the coffee.  (Well, the pup doesn’t have coffee, but a home fry he does have.) There is even a gumball machine. Who could ask for more?

The website says: “Beach Rose Cafe: Strive to do better by people and planet.” I think they live by this mission.

By the way…all the hard workers at Beach Rose are young, some are tattooed and pierced, some are part-time college students, and all are kind. So, this place gives me great
hope for the future. I’d be grateful and glad for those who have poured my coffee and made me sandwiches would lead our world. If you are one of those people who assume stuff about the young because of their style, I would only
ask you go to the Rose Café and watch the character of all who serve there, because they have treated people like everyone is a wonderful.

Of course, everyone is. Especially at the Beach Rose Café: they are good eggs.

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