She Lost Her Husband and Both Kids in One Morning

About this episode

On March 4th, 2021, Jessica Ellington's life split into a before and after. In a single morning, she lost her husband Matt and her two children, Evangeline and Lincoln, in a car accident. This episode is the conversation behind her new memoir, From We to Me: Let Me Paint You My Story — and it holds grief and joy in the same breath, exactly like her life does. We talk about the turquoise Bible found at the scene, the phrase "it's okay to not be okay" that she came to hate, what widow's brain actually feels like, and why the most random things (an MMA fight, a picture of an apple) can trigger a wave of grief years later. We also talk about her cat Darcy, acorns mysteriously stuffed in a dryer vent, and how she turned grief into a full-blown art business. If you've ever walked through loss, or you're trying to figure out how to show up for someone who has, this one will change how you show up. Get the book: https://a.co/d/00QaVyTmFollow Jessica's art: instagram.com/poured_out_artJessica's website: www.pouredout.art TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Meet Jessica Ellington 01:58 – Who Jessica was before 02:53 – Meeting Matt: "our weirds matched" 03:55 – An ordinary Tuesday with Matt, Evangeline, and Lincoln 05:22 – The memory she keeps replaying 06:14 – March 4th, 2021 and the turquoise Bible 09:11 – "It's okay to just be okay" 10:34 – The support system that carried her 11:32 – How grief actually behaves 15:26 – Acorns in a dryer vent 17:10 – Why it's hard to let people in 18:55 – What NOT to say to someone who's grieving 20:15 – What is "widow's brain" 22:00 – Darcy the cat and keeping the book a secret 23:31 – Poured Out Art and painting as therapy 24:47 – The symbolism behind the book cover 26:06 – The biggest unexpected contrasts 27:24 – A new season of travel and adventure 28:05 – On getting remarried someday 29:27 – What teenage Jessica would think now 30:57 – What to tell someone deep in grief 31:12 – How to actually support someone who's grieving 31:54 – Rapid fire questions #Grief #Memoir #ChristianPodcast #FaithAndGrief #Widow #FromWeToMe✨ Subscribe for more Spirit-led strategies on writing, publishing, and building your legacy. Join Christian Writers Arise: 90-Day Book Accelerator and finally write the book God has placed on your heart. Learn more here: https://roseandpearl.net💡 Grab Your Free Guide: 5 Steps to Start Writing Your Book → https://roseandpearl.net/getstarted 📲 Let’s Connect!Instagram: @carolynwileywrites, @roseandpearlpublishingFacebook: @carolynwileywrites, @roseandpearlpublishingTikTok: @carolynwileywrites 💬 Let’s Talk Writing!Are you ready for a book coach, or are you still figuring things out? Drop a comment below! ⬇️ 🚀 Don’t Forget to:✅ Subscribe for more Christian writing tips✅ Like this video if it helped you!✅ Share it with a fellow writer who needs encouragement.✅ Ask your questions in the comments—I’d love to help! 🖊️ Tools I Recommend for Writers: (Affiliate Links)Scrivener (My go-to writing software): https://partners.kit.com/roseandpearlKit.com (Email lists for authors): https://www.literatureandlatte.com/sc... 🎤 Curious About My Setup? (Affiliate Links)Mic I Use: Logitech for Creators Blue Yeti USB Microphone https://amzn.to/3F5qLQMFurry Mic Cover for Noise Reduction: https://amzn.to/43vMBXR 🎉 Your Story Matters. Let’s make 2026 the year you finally write your book! #WritingTips #ChristianAuthor #BookWriting #FaithBasedBusiness #ContentWriting #AuthorTips #WritingSkills #RoseAndPearlPublishing