And so began the rest of my life. It was – and still is – a life I never would have chosen, a life I was completely unprepared for. The unimaginable. Sitting down with my son and daughter and telling them that their father had died … the funeral. Speeches where people spoke of Dave in the past tense. My house filling up with familiar faces coming up to me again and again, delivering the perfunctory kiss on the cheek followed by those same words: ‘I’m sorry for your loss.'”
-- The Author (Sheryl Sandberg) (Introduction )

Importance: This quote sums up the traumatizing, catalytic event that triggered the existence of both the book and the contemplations and experiences that inspired its content. It is also the first stage in the author's integration of personal experience with other forms of analysis and commentary.

We don’t pretend that hope will win out over pain every day. It won’t...
-- The Author (Sheryl Sandberg) (Introduction )