The Hourglass
But there is an audience unseen. From the heavens. At the birth of the baby, the hourglass is turned in heaven. The clock starts ticking. The sand is running through to the other side. The countdown has begun.
No one knows how long this baby has to live. At this point, no one really asks. It is assumed that this baby will live long, enjoy life, achieve success, grow and nurture a family and die at a good, ripe old age, leaving children, grandchildren and maybe, greatgrandchildren behind.