Letters From the Mess

Some places feed you.
Giuseppe’s fed our hearts.

From the very first time we stepped into your shop, we felt something different — something we didn’t know we needed:
family.

You didn’t just welcome us.
You adopted us.
You made space for us in your world like we were already part of it. And from that day on, Giuseppe’s became more than a place to eat — it became a place to exhale.


In the middle of one of the hardest, heaviest chapters of our lives, you gave us laughter.
You gave us warmth.
You gave us a corner of the world that didn’t revolve around hospitals and hard news — a place where we could just be.

You’ve shown up for me and my husband in ways we’ll never be able to explain or repay.
Not just with the best pizza on Earth (though that alone deserves a standing ovation), but with love — pure, uncomplicated, unconditional love.

You’ve celebrated with us when there was good news.
You’ve comforted us when there wasn’t.
And you’ve done it all without expecting anything in return.

That’s the magic of chosen family.
You see the hard stuff… and stay anyway.
You love big, without needing permission.
You make even the worst days feel survivable.


I’ll never be able to properly thank you for what you’ve given us — for turning your restaurant into our safe haven, for making us feel seen, supported, and so deeply cared for.

You’ve wrapped us in community.
You’ve lifted us with kindness.
And you’ve reminded us, again and again, that there is still good in this world — good people, good pizza, and good reasons to keep going.

Giuseppe’s isn’t just a restaurant.
It’s a lifeline.
And you?
You’re family — the kind we didn’t know we needed, but now couldn’t imagine life without.

We love you more than words can hold.

Always,
Izzy (and my husband… and probably Mojo too 🐾)


🐾 Mojo’s POV

Hi. I’m Mojo.
I’m Izzy’s emotional support loaf and official judge of all things human and cheesy.

And I’m here to tell you:
If you’ve never been to Giuseppe’s Steel City Pizza Shop, you are living a life of regret.

These humans?
They make the kind of food that heals broken spirits (and also drops the occasional crust on the floor if you’re cute enough).

But more than that?
They show up.
They see people.
They make space for messy, beautiful, complicated lives and treat us like family — no matter what kind of day we’re having.

They fed my mom when she hadn’t eaten in days.
They made her laugh when she hadn’t smiled in hours.
And they let us belong there, like we’d always been part of the fold.

So go.
Eat the pizza.
Hug the humans.
Tip well.
And tell them Mojo sent you.

You won’t just leave full.
You’ll leave loved.

Love,
Mojo 🐾
Chief Crumb Collector
Unofficial Mascot of Giuseppe’s
Forever Loyal

2 responses to “💌 To the Owners of the Best Pizza Shop in the World — My Chosen Family at Giuseppe’s”

  1. Maureen Avatar
    Maureen

    So very true, all of you are very special people. ❤️

    Like

  2. Drew Bastian Avatar

    Izzy you and Mojo nailed it. Giuseppe’s is definitely family. I’ve been buying pizza from them since 1984/1985 when they were on Anastasia in South Daytona. It’s a great family owned place. Great food and great people. I pray that you will be healed! 🙏🏻🙏🏻

    Like

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I’m Izzy

Welcome to mojo and the mess, This isn’t the blog I ever expected to write — but it’s the one I needed.

I’m Izzy, a twenty-something living (and dying) with terminal cancer, navigating the messy, heartbreaking, unexpectedly beautiful in-between. Here, you’ll find raw reflections, real talk, dog snuggles (shoutout to Mojo), and the unfiltered truth about what it’s like to face the end of your life before it really got going.

This space is for the ones who’ve felt forgotten, the ones who don’t know what to say, and the ones who are still holding on. It’s not always pretty, but it’s always honest.

Thanks for being here. You’re part of the mess now — and I mean that in the best way.

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