Finding Yourself When the Picket Fence Crumbles: Sarah Elizabeth’s Journey from Accountant to Author

In a world where we are often taught to check specific boxes—career, marriage, home ownership—it can be jarring to realize that having it all doesn't necessarily equate to feeling whole. For Rhode Island author Sarah Elizabeth, that realization became the catalyst for a profound personal transformation, one she documents in her memoir, When the White Picket Fence is No Longer Enough.
I recently sat down with Sarah for our "Spotlight" series to discuss her unexpected pivot from numbers to narrative, and how she is now helping others write their own stories of healing.
Sarah Elizabeth is, by trade, an accountant and CPA, serving as an executive director for a local nonprofit. However, in 2024, she surprised her community by releasing a deeply personal memoir.
"I kind of fell into writing," Sarah explained. "It felt like something that I needed to do as part of my healing journey and to help invite others to step into their own."
The journey began around 2016. Sarah, a mother of two (now ages 14 and 12), found herself living a life that looked perfect on paper. "I checked all of the boxes that we're told to check: stability, safety, career, marriage, children," she said. "And I felt completely lost inside of all of it. I realized that I built this life, but lost myself in the process."
Life presented its challenges, including navigating her son’s illness and autism diagnosis, and ultimately, the dissolution of her marriage. Amidst the chaos of a full-time professional schedule and raising two children, Sarah turned to writing as a form of therapy. A 21-day journaling prompt asking about her greatest fear revealed a hard truth: she feared she was nothing without her roles and responsibilities.
"From that point on, writing became my way of processing," she noted. This process of self-discovery and "peeling back the layers" resulted in her book, a decade in the making, which explores finding a deeper version of oneself when the life you planned falls apart.
Now, Sarah is dedicated to ensuring others don't feel isolated in their own journeys. "As I started to share my story, I found others wanting to share theirs," she said.
Through her website, sarahelizabeth.icu, she offers downloadable journal prompts, online self-paced curriculums, and her "Friday Reflections" newsletter designed to inspire thought and healing. Her choice of domain name—ICU—is intentional. "I see you," she emphasized.
Looking ahead to 2026, Sarah has ambitious plans to foster community. She will be hosting "Reclaiming the Way Home," a monthly virtual program, as well as in-person sessions at Soul Sanctuary in Coventry. The in-person program, "Redefining the Mature Woman," is a collaboration with her friend Andi, combining Pilates, stretching, journaling, and narrative therapy for women aged 40 and up.
"We get to choose how we want to wrap things up and how we want to start," Sarah told me, reflecting on the transition into the new year. "It's never too late to take that control and ownership of our lives back."
For those feeling lost or looking to redefine themselves in the new year, Sarah Elizabeth offers a guiding light and a reminder that while the road is winding, you don't have to walk it alone.
To connect with Sarah, purchase her book, or sign up for her upcoming workshops, visit sarahelizabeth.icu.
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