Independence Day: Waiting, Freedom, and Frederick Douglass
“This Fourth of July is yours, not mine, / You may rejoice, I must mourn.”
— Frederick Douglass
Lawrence Ferlinghetti writes, “I am waiting for a rebirth of wonder,” and Frederick Douglass reminds us that not everyone has been able to claim this holiday as their own.
In today’s offering, we’re:
Breathing with Ferlinghetti’s poem “I Am Waiting”
Listening to descendants read excerpts from Douglass’s “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?”
Writing for 10 minutes about what we are waiting for—in our lives, in our country, and in our creative practice
Questions to consider:
What are you waiting for in your own life, and who can or cannot join you in that waiting?
What kind of “rebirth of wonder” do you long for in America and in your writing life?
Whose joy is centered in today’s celebrations—and whose is sidelined or silenced?
Where does freedom feel unfinished where you live, and how might your writing bear witness to that?
How do mourning and making live together in your creativity and work?
Independence Day can be more than fireworks. It can be attention, lament, hope, and a small, honest practice at your desk or kitchen table.
You can read today’s Daily Nourishment here:
Spiritual Direction for Writers® Daily Nourishment
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Much love to the creative souls. May we flourish anyway on Independence Day and all days.
💚Charlotte
Charlotte Donlon is a writer, spiritual director, and gatherer whose work centers on helping people explore themes of belonging, artful encounters, spiritual growth, and how to Flourish Anyway®, even when life is full, busy, or chaotic. Her work has woven together themes of belonging, art, and soul exploration for more than 25 years. With a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing (2015-2018) and a certificate in spiritual direction (2018-2020), Charlotte guides writers and other creative souls in developing sanctuaries of acceptance and connection.
A Christian in the Episcopal church who believes the tenets of the Nicene Creed, Charlotte employs a universal framework of belonging and connection in her spiritual direction work. She fosters meaningful, soulful conversations and gatherings that are welcoming to all—regardless of faith tradition or spiritual inclinations.
In 2020, Broadleaf Books published Charlotte's first book, The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other.Spiritual Direction for Writers: Everyday Rituals for Your Writing Life is slated for release by Here Below Books in September 2026. Three volumes of Charlotte's "Guidebooks for the Soul"—Take More Retreats, The Great Belonging Project, and Belonging Through Art—will also be published in 2026.
As the founder of several initiatives, Charlotte has established herself as a thought leader and an authentic presence at the intersection of creativity and spirituality. Her essays have been featured in publications such as The Washington Post, The Christian Century, Christianity Today, Catapult, and The Millions, among others. A new essay about art conservation, Joan Mitchell, and mystery is forthcoming with Image journal.
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Flourish Anyway® is Charlotte’s online hub for all of her writing, spiritual direction, small press, gatherings, and other offerings.