Untold True Story: The Woman Who Stayed -- Loving Through Mental Illness and Finding Light Again
In this continuation of our conversation with Garrett, we now meet his mother, Karen. Her story widens the lens—from a son’s grief to a wife and mother’s lifelong journey through love, loss, and rediscovery.
Karen’s life has been shaped by both deep sorrow and quiet strength. She has known the ache of loss, the complexity of loving someone through mental illness, and the courage it takes to rebuild when everything familiar has changed. Her story is not one of tragedy—it is one of truth, resilience, and release.
Living Alongside Mental Illness in Marriage
Karen met her husband, Craig, when she was just 19. Over 38 years, they built a life filled with laughter, shared rituals, and deep connection. Yet woven through their love was Craig’s ongoing struggle with mental health.
Karen speaks gently about what many partners come to understand: love can hold space, but it cannot control another’s choices. She learned that safety, compassion, and boundaries can coexist—and that sometimes, release is the most loving act of all.
The Loss That Changed Everything
When their teenage son, Patrick, died suddenly, the family’s world shifted forever. Karen and Craig carried that grief in different ways—each trying to survive a pain that had no map.
Through community, remembrance, and shared rituals, they found small ways to honor Patrick’s life. Support groups like The Compassionate Friends became a lifeline, offering a place to speak the unspeakable and to be held by others who understood.
Navigating Suicide Loss
Years later, Craig’s mental health declined further, and he died by suicide. Karen shares this part of her story not for shock, but for truth. She speaks with clarity and grace about the difference between responsibility and control—a distinction that many families navigating mental illness must face.
She carries grief, yes—but also release. And in that release, she found the beginning of her own healing.
Grief Has No Timeline
Karen often says, “However you feel right now is absolutely correct.”
For her, grief has never been linear. It has been both sudden and slow, both heavy and light. She reminds us that it’s possible to feel relief and sadness at the same time—and that both are valid.
Her message is simple and profound: comparison has no place in grief. Each person’s journey unfolds in its own rhythm.
Rebuilding Identity and Purpose
After Craig’s passing, Karen began a new chapter—one rooted in autonomy and service. She founded Priority Mobile Notary Servicesin Chattanooga, Tennessee, inspired by her own experience of needing urgent help during a stressful time.
Now, she shows up for others in moments of need, describing it as “feeling like a superhero.” It’s a beautiful example of turning pain into purpose.
Rediscovering Love and Connection
Karen has also opened her heart to the possibility of love again. Not to replace or erase the past, but to continue living fully. Healing within families after loss takes time, and she moves forward with tenderness and intention—honoring both her heart and her son’s.
The Power of Community
Throughout her life, Karen has leaned on friendship, music, and women’s circles that offer non-judgmental listening. She reminds us that community isn’t a luxury—it’s survival.
Women, she says, need safe spaces to speak their truth. Not to be fixed. Not to be judged. Simply to be heard.
What Karen Teaches Us
Her story speaks to anyone who has lived alongside mental illness, survived loss, or is learning to rebuild after trauma. Her wisdom is clear:
You cannot love someone out of mental illness.
Medication alone cannot heal what hasn’t been expressed.
Guilt is heavy—but not always yours to carry.
Relief after loss does not mean you are heartless.
Rebuilding does not mean forgetting.
You are allowed to live again.
The Grace of Release
Karen ends her story with gratitude.
“I am who I am today because of Craig,” she says.
She thanks him for the love they shared, for the lessons he taught, and for the strength she carries forward. Her release is not bitter—it is full of grace.
If This Story Stirred Something in You
If you are navigating grief, mental health challenges, or emotional overwhelm, please reach out for support. You do not have to carry this alone.
About Awakening Truths: Make Up Your Power
Hosted by Nichole Lynn Haywood & Co-Host Tina Akowitz, this podcast creates space for truth spoken with care, trauma processed with compassion, and stories that reclaim power.
We believe:
Sensitivity is strength.
Grief is not failure.
Truth is not something to hide—it is something to integrate.
As you finish reading, take a breath.
Notice what arises.
These stories are not meant to be solved—they are meant to be witnessed.
Truth unfolds at the pace your heart can hold.
