Note: Also available at the "Opinion Journal" and Chrenkoff. Many thanks, as always, to James Taranto and Joe Katzman for their support for this ongoing project, and to all of you fellow readers and bloggers who continue to assist and publicize it.

Like Grinch who stole Christmas, Taliban in their days had banned the popular holiday of Nowroz, the first day of the Afghan year. A few weeks ago, people all around Afghanistan got the chance to celebrate, for the fourth time in their free country, a new beginning. "The new year arrived with snows and rains. May it be full of peace and security as well," Allah Mohammad, a resident of Kabul, had expressed a popular sentiment.

Considering how much snow fell on Afghanistan this winter, wishing for an equal bounty of peace, security, and prosperity might be somewhat optimistic. But even a moderate precipitation of good and stable government and economic growth will guarantee that this war-shattered, impoverished and traumatized country continues its slow and often painful - yet at the same time very inspiring - ascent from the nightmare of its past twenty-five years of history.

Below are some snapshots from that journey that no longer attracts much media attention, but one that, nonetheless, matters a lot not only to the Afghans themselves but also all those around the world who believe in the redeeming power of freedom.

• Society
  
• Reconstruction
  
• Humanitarian aid
  
• The Coalition troops
  
• Security