The Great Belonging Project: Day 3
“When I arrive at a local coffee shop after dropping my kids off at school on a Tuesday morning in April, I am pleased to find my favorite table empty. The one table constructed of real wood is stationed across from the pastry case and next to a shelf full of memoirs and history books. Sitting there means I can nestle up to a bay window that has a lovely view of trees with spring-green leaves and a clock tower topped with a spire and with Roman numerals marking each hour.” -The Great Belonging: How Loneliness Leads Us to Each Other
One way to feel less lonely is to be a regular at a neighborhood coffee shop or cafe.
It helps to see people who are loose-tie relationships like your favorite baristas, familiar servers, and other regulars that you run into frequently. People you can chit chat with and maybe even get into a brief semi-meaningful conversation beyond the surface level. (It happens on occasion!)
Drinking warm beverages and eating foods associated with happy memories also help us feel cozy, safe, and less alone.
So, for The Great Belonging Project: Day 3, think about your go-to spots for a cup of coffee or tea or a meal and go to one soon. Tag them in the comments below, if you like.
A couple of my favorites —Church Street Coffee & Books here in Birmingham and Battery Park Book Exchange in Asheville.
Here’s to our favorite coffee shops and cafes that help us belong.
Please feel free to share your thoughts and your favorite spots in the comments, if you like!
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