To Life!

 
 

To gaze into the eyes of a newborn is to witness life in all its glory and mystery. And when that infant is your grandson, the feelings of joy and awe are overpowering. Those dark eyes seem to hold a direct connection to the universe, and I am drawn into their depths as if looking into a bottomless well. It is amazing that this tiny being is already himself, different from his brother, different from his father (my first contact with a newborn), entirely unique. We forget this about ourselves: the particular combination of molecules that makes us who we are has never occurred before and will never occur again. No one else looks through our eyes, no one sees as we see. Our spirit is entirely our own, yet we are all somehow connected. I feel this as I hold my grandson, wondering what he sees as he goes to sleep. I watch expressions flutter across his face—a frown, surprise, worry, a beatific smile—as if he is practicing all the aspects of being human. He has arrived with great good fortune in a family that cherishes him. We all look forward to helping him grow into his life.