Listening Through Story: Writing, Care & Making Meaning of Life

What if storytelling isn’t just about what we write—but about how we understand life itself?In this episode of The Story Seat, I sit down with Nancy Jasin Ensley for a reflective and deeply human conversation about storytelling, service, and the many ways we make meaning from the experiences we live through.Nancy’s career has taken her through hospice care, legal nursing, teaching, and writing—roles that have placed her at the center of some of life’s most intimate and vulnerable moments. Through it all, writing has remained her anchor: a way to listen, process, and give shape to the stories that emerge from both everyday life and profound human experience.As an author, she writes across multiple genres—including memoir, fiction, mystery, science fiction, and children’s stories—but at the heart of her work are enduring themes of faith, family, resilience, and reflection.In this conversation, we explore:Why writing can be a form of listeningWhat hospice care reveals about humanity and connectionThe lessons learned from a life of service and observationHow real experiences become meaningful storiesThe role of reflection in storytelling and healingWriting across genres while staying rooted in core themesHow people begin to find and tell their own storiesNancy also shares insights on how storytelling can help us process life more deeply, connect with others more authentically, and find clarity in our own experiences.This episode is a reminder that every life holds stories worth telling—and that taking time to reflect on them can bring understanding, healing, and connection.If you’ve ever felt like you had a story inside you but weren’t sure how to begin, this conversation will encourage you to slow down, listen inward, and start where you are.