Sometimes I get the urge to leave Birmingham, to leave the state, to move somewhere with more people who wear masks during a pandemic.

Then I have a day like today, a month like this month, and I’m blown away by the beautiful people, places, and things in this city that invite me into deeper belongings with myself, others, God, and the world.

I could write an essay about everything rolling around in my head and soul. But I won’t. I’ll keep working on a novel instead.

Special shout-out (shoutout?) to Cal at @81churchstreet and Laura at @thankyou_bham for having meaningful conversations with me today and stocking wonderful books for me to buy all days.

*Originally posted on Instagram on April 29, 2021

Charlotte Donlon is a writer, a spiritual director for writers, and the founder and host of the Our Faith in Writing podcast and website. Charlotte’s writing and work are rooted in noticing how art helps us belong to ourselves, others, God, and the world. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Curator, The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Catapult, The Millions, Mockingbird, and elsewhere. Her first book is The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other. You can subscribe to her newsletter and connect with her onTwitter and Instagram.