Turning Pain Into Purpose
After losing a close friend to suicide in college, Leah Williams transformed her grief into purpose by publishing her memoir, Grey Thoughts, and advocating for suicide prevention. Through sharing her story, she now helps others find hope, healing, and vital mental health resources.
As the publisher of Stroll Hidden Lake, I have the privilege of meeting neighbors whose stories quietly—but powerfully—shape our community. Leah Williams is one of those neighbors. Her journey is deeply personal, courageous, and rooted in hope, and it’s one I felt called to share.
Leah has been a Hidden Lake resident for over a year, moving into the neighborhood in October 2024 with her parents, Cordell and Yvette, who first made Hidden Lake home in August 2022. After spending three years living in Omaha, Nebraska, Leah was drawn to the peaceful rhythm of the community—the quiet streets, the canopy of trees, and especially the beauty of watching the seasons change.
“I love how quiet the neighborhood is,” Leah shared. “I especially love all the trees and watching the leaves change colors. Fall is my favorite time of year.”
That sense of calm provides a grounding contrast to the work Leah has chosen to pursue—work that lives at the intersection of grief, healing, and prevention.
Leah’s passion is suicide prevention, a calling that began during her freshman year of college after losing a close friend to suicide. Navigating academics while processing that loss was overwhelming, yet it became the catalyst for something much larger.
“Losing her was one of the hardest things I’ve ever gone through,” Leah said. “But I’m grateful I could harness the pain and turn it into prevention work.”
As she moved through her college years, Leah became increasingly aware that many students around her were struggling silently with their mental health. She began sharing her own story—not for attention, but for connection. Her vulnerability became an invitation for others to seek help.
“I felt compelled to share my story,” she explained. “Knowing it could inspire someone else to get support kept me going.”
After graduating in May 2020, Leah continued speaking openly about mental health. In 2022, she began writing a memoir centered on her experience navigating grief and mental health during her undergraduate years. A year later, she made a bold leap—leaving her full-time role as a supply chain analyst to pursue writing full time.
That decision led to a major milestone. On October 10, 2025, Leah published her book, Grey Thoughts.
Writing the book was anything but easy. Emotionally, it required revisiting loss and reliving some of the most painful moments of her life. Practically, the publishing process presented its own challenges.
“From an emotional perspective, writing my story felt like I was reliving the losses again,” Leah shared. “From a technical perspective, finding the right editor and formatter felt like a needle in a haystack.”
Through online author communities, she eventually found the right support—and the perseverance she developed through that process is something she carries with pride.
“Writing a book instilled perseverance like never before.”
Today, writing remains a deeply cathartic outlet for Leah. Beyond her memoir, she enjoys writing short stories, poetry, and journaling—creative spaces where she can process thoughts and emotions freely. Sharing her story has also opened doors to meaningful connections and opportunities.
One of those opportunities led her to volunteer with Kevin’s Song, a suicide prevention organization based in Madison Heights that provides education and support resources for suicide loss survivors.
Since publishing Grey Thoughts, Leah has heard from readers who say her story helped them see a perspective they hadn’t considered before. Those moments, she says, never go unnoticed.
“It’s humbling to receive feedback from readers that my story positively impacted them,” she said. “I don’t take their gratitude for granted.”
At home, Leah is supported wholeheartedly by her parents, who relocated to Hidden Lake from Naperville, Illinois, to serve at The Gathering Church in Farmington Hills. Their encouragement has made it possible for her to pursue this work with confidence and care.
On a broader level, Leah is passionate about connecting people with resources—especially raising awareness about 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, and organizations like NAMI of Livingston County.
“Working in suicide prevention is incredibly rewarding,” she shared. “I’m grateful for every opportunity I have to share resources and educate the community.”
When asked what advice she would give to someone interested in writing—or in pursuing a passion rooted in service—Leah keeps it simple and sincere.
“The best way to start writing is to just write,” she said. “It doesn’t have to be perfect; you just have to start. Never underestimate the power of storytelling. You can use your story to instill hope in others.”
Leah’s openness, humility, and willingness to turn pain into purpose is a reminder that the stories we carry matter—and that sharing them can create ripples of understanding far beyond what we may ever see.
Her book, Grey Thoughts, is available at greythoughtsbook.com. As Leah would be the first to say, help is available, and no one has to walk through life’s hardest moments alone.