Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Latshaw.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Jessica. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
While I was performing in a Broadway tour, my brother suggested I start a blog. Writing every night quickly became one of my favorite parts of my day. I had no idea, though, that this blog would become so much more than a fun way to share photos and stories of my travel. Soon after, I discover my first husband’s affair, and my blog becomes a way to process all the pain and grief I am experiencing. It also becomes a community. Others reading my story and reaching out in empathy is a bridge while walking through an otherwise isolating divorce. With the rise of social media apps, I switch the bulk of my writing to Instagram. Fast forward to last May, when my current husband and I lose our son at 35 weeks gestation. As I’ve been writing through my grief for the past year, the online community has been so present, so kind. For me, writing keeps me from remaining a victim, allowing me to have creative power—even if it’s just in the choice to tell my story and the words I choose to tell it. I’m currently writing my first book, as well as creating a show that involves both my music and excerpts of my writing.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I think if it had been a smooth road, I wouldn’t have much to write about. But the short answer is no. My first husband had an affair with someone very close to me. My second child died. But the bumps (mountains? Explosions?) In the road—and how we respond to them—is what makes our stories interesting. I heard a quote a long time ago that stuck: you can get bitter or you can get better. A decision I made while going through my divorce is that I’d be honest about the hurt, but also remain committed to healing. I went to therapy and church and talked with friends and family and decided to forgive those who’d wronged me. These decisions were probably more important than the initial struggles that forced me to make them in the first place. Today I’m grateful for the struggles. There’s something sacred about loss and even pain. And we simply cannot grow the same if we only ever experience happiness. Also, the struggles have made the joy that much brighter. We just had our rainbow baby, born a year after the due date of our son we lost. The joy and gratitude in bringing her home is immeasurable.
Please tell us about Jessica Latshaw – Writer, musician, and influencer.
Something that people often tell me is that they don’t understand how I can be so vulnerable and open about my struggles, but that it helps them to read about it. I’m not sure why I’m able to be this way, exactly, but I do know it helps me to write out my feelings—all of them—and it makes me less afraid of these big feelings. And I think it gives others the knowledge that they’re not alone in their grief, fear, pain, etc.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I’m not sure that I would have done much differently. Some of the greatest losses in my life have directly led to some of my greatest blessings. My first husband’s affair and consecutively, my divorce, has everything to do with my beautiful marriage to my husband TJ. Losing Luca—something I’d never choose, if it were my choice—directly led to our daughter Willa being here now. I’ve experienced some major pain, but because of that pain, I’ve been able to experience the miracle of healing. My heart is full and I am grateful.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @jessicalatshaw
- Facebook: Facebook.com/jesslatshaw
Image Credit:
Photo credit: TJ Taormina
Kate Dudley
Rachel Liu Photography
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