Elsewhere on these pages you will find the birth announcement for Eli Jacob Taylor. He’s not our first grandchild, but the first since September 11, 2001. Born Tuesday in Milwaukee, he’s certainly our most distant.

But his paternal grandparents, Lowell and Linda Taylor, arrived there the day after his birth, so we know that the newest arrival and his novice parents are in good hands. Rosemary and I are looking forward to a visit there April 2.

The birth announcement published elsewhere in this edition will include the usual information about dimensions and list his immediate ancestry, including one of his maternal great-grandmothers, Helen Nelson.

Not included in the birth announcement is that he will share his birth date —March 22 — with Helen’s late husband and baby Eli’s great grandfather, John Nelson Jr., and also with Helen’s late brother, David Hamilton, the beloved Uncle David for whom we named our second son, Eli’s uncle.

That is not an especially remarkable coincidence but it bears mention in this short column following the newest grandchild’s arrival. He shares his day with those who passed through this life before him, now fondly and lovingly remembered.

We’ll tell him about that someday when he’s old enough to understand, about his grandmother’s dad and his other Uncle David, about people who loved him even before he was born because they loved and were loved by his forebearers.