In this article, the author shares her experience of being part of the creation of a memorial. mosaic dedicated to those who had died on September 11, 2001. Working with veterans at a long-term outpatient program within a Veterans Administration (VA) Mental Hygiene Clinic, she found that the physical process of constructing something from nothing, and of bringing lost and broken pieces together in a work of art, was a powerful antidote to the feelings of powerlessness. She describes the importance of art and ceremony in helping her, the veterans, and their community attend to their emotional needs at a critical time, and how the veterans were able to transcend their fears and symptoms in order to help others. (Contains 1 figure.)