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Be Not Afraid CourageI feel that of all the qualities shared by the peoplewho appear in this book, courage is the mostnotable. Courage in suffering; courage in the midst ofemptiness and loss; courage to face the future, evenwhen it means certain death. Without it, none of themcould have overcome their fears and found peace.Certainly courage is just as important in the primeof life as at its end. In fact, if we hope to muster itwhen we need it most – at the hour of death, forinstance – we must nurture it from day to day. Andif we cannot find it in ourselves, we need only lookaround us. In my home state of New York, for instance,stories of the selflessness and heroism shown by policeofficers, firefighters, and other rescue workers are stillsurfacing, months after the tragedy of September 11,2001. And there are always “ordinary” people likeRamona, below. Though unconnected to any publicevent, and previously invisible except to a small circleof family and friends, I found her story inspiring.Five months pregnant, Ramona was eagerly lookingforward to the future. Or at least she had been – until aroutine checkup at the doctor’s office dashed her hopesand changed her life forever:14