JOURNAL: "Joshua Michael Salsich"

Yesterday on this earth, probably hundreds of millions of proud grandfathers held their new grandchild in their arms and were overcome by joy and gratitude, and I was one of them. Young Joshua Salsich was born around 9:30 on Tuesday evening, and I rushed up to the Umass Hospital in Worcester to see him as soon as yesterday's faculty meeting adjourned. It's impossible to describe the feeling I had when I first saw him nestled in Luke's arms in the hospital room. (See photo.) To me, he seemed an utterly perfect miracle. It was as if all that is good and right in the universe had been gathered together and transformed into this tiny boy. Luke and Krissy (who was relaxing in a chair beside her bed) both asked if I would like to hold him, and, with some unease, I took him in my arms. Again, how can I possibly describe the feeling I got when I was holding this delicate bundle of life, this wee fellow who was magically created from a single egg and sperm, this living, breathing expression of the measureless universe? If you can imagine how a person would feel holding a treasure chest worth 10 billion dollars, and then multiply that feeling a thousand times, you would still not come close. I'm sure I fairly tiptoed around the room while I was holding this little treasure. I told Luke and Krissy that holding young Josh in my arms was exactly what I needed after spending a hectic day with my students at a noisy bowling alley (an end-of-year celebration). And surely we all would benefit by being in the presence of such a serene and perfect expression of life as this new grandson of mine. If, at the end of each day, all of us could rock a sleeping newborn baby in our arms, there would probably be a quick cease to fear, worries, and wars. Who can be troubled when looking down at a face as perfect as Joshua Michael Salsich's?