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3Whencouragetriumphedoverfear1.Iknowwhatcouragelookslike.IsawitonaflightItooksixyearsago,andonlynowcanIspeakofitwithouttearsfillingmyeyesatthememory.2.WhenourplaneleftNewYorkthatFridaymorning,wewereatalkative,high-energygroup.Theearly-morningtranscontinentalflighthostedmainlyprofessionalpeoplegoingtoSanFranciscoforadayortwoofbusiness.AsIlookedaround,Isawlotsofdesignersuites,CEO-levelexpensivehaircuts,designerbriefcasesandallthetrimmingsofloftybusinesstravelers.Isettledbackwithmypaperbacknovelforsomelightreadingandthebriefflightahead.3.Immediatelyupontake-off,longbeforewehadreachedourcruisingaltitude,itwasclearthatsomethingwaswrong.Theaircraftwasbumpingverticallyupanddownandtiltinglefttoright.Alltheexperiencedtravelers,includingme,lookedaroundwithknowinggrins.Wehadexperiencedminorproblemsandturbulenceonpriorflights.Ifyouflyverymuch,youseethesethingsandlearntoactrelaxedaboutthem.4.Itwasn'tlongbeforeourrelaxedattitudesbegantoevaporate.Minutesafterwewereinflight,ourplanebegandippingwildlyandonewingplungeddownward.Theplaneclimbedhigherbutthatdidn'thelpourplight.Thepilotsoonprovidedsomegravenewsregardingtheflight.5.Wearehavingsomedifficulties,hesaid.Atthistime,itappearswehavenonose-wheelsteering.Ourindicatorsshowthatourlandingsystemhasfailed,whichnecessitatesthatweaborttheflightandreturntoNewYork.Becauseoftheproblemswiththemechanisms,it'sunlikelyourlandinggearwilllock,sotheflightattendantswillprepareyouforabumpylanding.Also,ifyoulookoutthewindows,youwillseethatwearedumpingfuelfromtheairplane.Wewanttohaveaslittleonboardaspossibleintheeventofaroughtouchdown.36.Inotherwords,wewereabouttocrash.Nosighthaseverbeensosoberingasthatfuel,hundredsofgallonsofit,streamingpastmywindowoutoftheplane'stanks.Theflightattendantsscrambledtogetpeopleintopositionandcomfortedthosewhowereinstantaneouslyhysterical.7.AsIlookedatthefacesofmyfellowbusinesstravelers,IwasstunnedbythechangesIsaw.Manylookedvisiblyfrightenednow.Eventhemostsophisticatedlookedvulnerableandgrim.Theirfacesactuallylookedpanicked.Therewasn'tasingleexception,andIrealizedthatnoonefacesdeathwithoutfear;nooneisimmunetoitsterror.8.Then,somewhereinmyproximity,Ioverheardastillcalmvoiceunderlyingthepanic.Itwasawoman'svoice,speakinginanabsolutelynormalconversationaltone.Despitethecircumstance,therewasnoangryemotionortension,andthiscalmvoiceevokedacalminmethatquietedsomeofmyinitialfears.ItbecameimperativethatIfindher.9.Allaroundthecabin,peoplecried.Manymoanedandscreamed.Afewofthemenmaintainedtheirappearanceofcalmbybracingagainsttheirarmrestsandgrindingtheirteeth,buttheirfearwaswrittenalloverthem.10.TryasImight,Icouldnothavespokensocalmly,sosweetlyatthatmomentasthefabulousvoiceIheard.Finally,Isawher.11.Inthemidstofallthechaos,amotherwastalking,justtalkingtoherchild.Thewoman,inhermid-30'sandunremarkablelookinginanyotherway,wasstaringfullintothefaceofherdaughter,wholookedaboutfouryearsold.Thechildlistenedclosely,sensingthathermother'swordswereinvaluable.Themother'sgazeheldthechildsofixedandintentthatthechildseemeduntouchedbythesoundsofgriefandfearallaroundher.3512.Istrainedtohearwhatthismotherwastellingherchild.Irelishedthesoundofcalmconfidenceamongsttheterror.Finally,Ihoverednearbyandbysomemiraclecouldhearhersoft,sure,confidentvoicesayinacalmingtoneoverandoveragain,Iloveyousomuch.DoyouknowforsurethatIloveyoumorethananything?313.Yes,Mommy,thelittlegirlsaid.14.Andremember,nomatterwhathappens,thatIloveyoualways;andthatyouareagoodgirl.Sometimesthingshappenthatarenotyourfault.Youaremybeloved,goodgirlandmylovewillalwaysbewithyou.15.Asherfirstconcernwasforherdaughter'swell-being,themotherthenputherbodyoverherdaughters,strappingtheseatbeltoverbothofthemtosaveherdaughterfromapossiblewreckage.16.Then,fornoearthlyreason,ourlandinggearheldandweglidedtoagentlestop.Itwasalloverinseconds.Ourtouchdownwassmoothandeasy;thetragedywehadfearedwasnotourdestiny.17.ThevoiceIheardthatdayneverhesitated,neveracknowledgeddread,andmaintainedanevennessthatseemedemotionallyandphysicallyimpossible.Duringthatdescent,notoneofthehardenedbusinesspeoplecouldhavespokenwithoutahintoffearintheirvoice.Onlythegreatestcourage,withafoundationofevengreaterlove,hadbroughtthatmotherupandliftedherabovethechaosaroundher.18.Thatmomshowedmetheamazingpoweroflove.Andforthosefewminutes,Iheardthevoiceoftruecourage.