Grit.
Sitting behind Tyson Lawrence, affixed to the wall of his home office, is a poster dedicated to this four-letter word. A word that so perfectly depicts Tyson and his journey to where he is today as a loss survivor, accomplished businessman, #GirlDad, fierce advocate for the military community, and proud supporter of our organization.
His story began with grit and it continues with grit.
Tyson grew up in eastern Washington. He describes his community as one that was full of hard-working and family-oriented people. “That’s who I am, where I’m from, and what I grew up around,” he shared. He grew up with a passion for team sports and the camaraderie that comes from competing alongside others. That love for “brotherhood” is another through-line in his journey.
“My dad was an interesting guy. Basically, he grew up without a dad and he grew up with other male influences who helped him along the way. He was the first to go to college and it was through football. He was in the middle of doing that, becoming an All-American undersized Linebacker, when the Vietnam war broke out.”
Tyson’s dad, SGT Mark Henry Lowe Lawrence III, enlisted in the Marines when many were getting called up in the draft. His leadership potential was quickly identified by commanding officers. In a very short time he went from an administrative support-role to commanding troops in major battles within the war to include the Tết Offensive and the Battle of Huế. Tyson reflected, “I think about him being 23 and me being 23. What I was doing at 23 and what he was doing at 23.”
On his first deployment, Mark ended up getting shot. However, after his recovery he reenlisted and went back a second time and that time he was hit by shrapnel.
Returning from Vietnam came with a whole new set of battles for Mark. “Mom tells me stories about him having to fight people calling him a baby killer. I think of what that does to your psyche. At that age. What he saw. What he did. I think it tormented him,” said Tyson.
After his service his dad didn’t talk about his experiences - good or bad. He even got rid of awards and memorabilia that brought up memories of his service. “A couple times I saw him have some flashbacks. My mom would tell stories about his eyes darting whenever we drove through the mountain passes because of the trees. That’s when I started to understand that he had seen some stuff,” Tyson remembered.
It was when Tyson was 17, and he had just graduated from high school, that his father died by suicide. Tyson was on his senior beach trip at the moment he found out. Tyson shared, “There were some things happening in his personal life that leading up to it kind of broke him.”
It has been 29 years since Tyson lost his father. When reflecting on his journey since that day he shared, “It hasn’t been a straight line. But it has been doing the work day in and day out.”
In true Tyson fashion, he has been relentless in his pursuit of wellness and healing. He has used a lot of different strategies from allowing himself the gift of introspection and reflection to therapy. He also works out, taking good care of himself physically alongside his wife and two teenage daughters. He wants both his mind and body to be strong. His dad died at age 51 and that middle-age marker is one that Tyson has remained ever vigilant of, “I’ve spent the last 29 years trying to be strong enough to make it to and through middle age.”
Tyson is aware that if he takes intentional steps to be well he is part of the change that this world desperately needs. “There is a crisis in men’s mental health, especially at middle age,” he said. Tyson notes that he sees mental health issues within his friends who stuff their problems and emotions down instead of allowing themselves to address the issues head on and feel deeply. That is an observation he has made not only about his friends today but also as he reflects upon his father’s journey.
No doubt about it, Tyson is a deep thinker and allows himself the gift of exploring the significance of his dad’s journey and what it means for him today. Tyson is committed to one day becoming a grandfather, which will break a family cycle of kids who never got to experience these important paternal figures. Tears well up in his eyes as he shares this dream and his hunger to lead his family well, with emotional and physical health.
Tyson is currently busier than ever as he leans into family, health and wellness, his entrepreneurial pursuits, and his passion for coaching other leaders. For him it is simple, “I like to encourage people! There were a lot of guys that did it for me!”
One story Tyson shared is the kind that sticks with you and urges you forward.
“I idolized my dad growing up. I idolized his friends. They started a golf tournament in the 70s, the Spokane Homecoming Invitational Tournament, 'SHIT' for short. The 3rd week of May I always knew where he was going to be. It was all about brotherhood and camaraderie. There were legendary stories that came out of it. I couldn’t wait to play in it.”
Tyson shared that Mark died by suicide 2-3 weeks after the tournament, 2 weeks after his high school graduation and the day after father’s day. There were so many layers of heartbreak and pain wrapped in that timing.
“I thought I’d never play in the tournament - it was on the list of the things I wouldn’t get to do with my dad,” he said. But, the next year his dad’s friends invited him to come play.
Tyson brought his dad’s golf bag, which was distinctive Zebra striped as he was affectionately known as the Zeeb due to his Football Officiating and he felt closer to his dad as he did so. Not only did it help him, but he knows that it helped his dad’s friends.
“I realized that there were things I needed to do in his name. At that time, I was limping through life and just trying to get through. But at the end of the tournament, they gave me all the money. I was in community college and it paid for all my books. But more than that, it created accountability,” said Tyson.
After that first year, Tyson came back year over year and felt like each time he needed to show up with good news to share. It was an annual milestone that propelled him forward each day of the year. Wrapped in this brotherhood, he knew that he had to keep advancing in a positive way. Tyson said, “It changed the trajectory of my life.”
Tyson is aware that his dad’s friends stepped up to be important figures in his life when he needed them most. He wanted to make them proud and he valued their feedback. He regards their invitation to the tournament as an incredibly pivotal moment in his loss journey and overall life. He now aims to pay that same support forward to others. Their support has turned into a legacy that Tyson lives into each and every day.
Tyson knows that his father carried invisible wounds from his service in the Marines. Moving forward, Tyson is committed to acknowledging and putting action around this reality that impacts so many veterans and service members. After losing his father to suicide he made promises to himself which included a commitment to get “in the fight” when he was at a place in his journey that he knew he was ready.
After researching organizations that support the mental health of our military community he was drawn to three key characteristics of our organization: our intentional, strategic, and proactive approach.
Tyson is keeping that promise he made to himself and he is now actively in his fight, working to advance a world in which our military community has the support they both need and deserve. “I want to get in the trenches,” he said with resolve.
Yes, it is true that grit is a great word to describe Tyson. But so is tenacity. He is fiercely committed to fight for our service members. He said, “There are still lives we can save — and families we can spare from the pain of becoming loss survivors. It is important that this generation is served much better.”
We couldn’t agree more and we know that this mission is possible with the support, dedication, and tenacity of supporters like Tyson. We count it an honor to have him in the trenches with us and fighting alongside us.
We must do this together - and we will.