As a deployed Michigan Army National Guard soldier chancing upon a Baghdad bazaar in 2005, Atherton found what she was looking for, but hadn't known she needed: a crystalline moment of grace. A reminder to be kind and open, to oneself and to others.

The small, pink quartz elephant was a surprise, one crafted especially for her by a young street vendor named Mohammed (call me "Mo," he had said). On a journey of healing, the figurine has followed her ever since-through Colorado wildfires, trauma, divorce, and the daily challenges of motherhood.

Now a Minnesota-based nursing professional active in veterans and women's mental health, as well as suicide prevention, Atherton shares stories of healing and resilience through the power of poetry.