Lessons Learned From a Bassinet
The bassinet in which I placed my first child was the same one which my mother had used for me. It was, in fact, the same bassinet that had held my mother and each of her sisters. Every one of my cousins slept in that bassinet. Eventually the bassinet was used for my grandchildren. Not just my grandchildren, but my cousins’ grandchildren also used this same bassinet. There have been five generations of babies who have used that sturdy, whicker basket. The legs have been redone by skilled fathers. The mattress and flowing draped cloth that formed the liner and skirt have been new with each family. It has become the pride and honor of each of these mothers, whether members of this family by blood or marriage, to pass this bassinet to the next expectant member of my mother’s family. The bassinet must have been built with incredible care, and it surely has been treated with equal reverence. It has also been paint...