Behold, the baby sling. Herself carried all three Offspring in it in turn. It was the single-most useful item when the Offspring were little: she used it to transport them, to keep them safely nearby, to comfort them when they were tiny and cranky, and to cover them like a blanket when they slept. It protected her privacy when she nursed them while out and about. It gave her a free hand to hold a book to read to the elder Offspring when the younger required holding. It kept her treasured wee people physically close to her heart.
When Offspring the third was a toddler, he required frequent physical touch to maintain his composure. In response to his upstretched arms, Herself would ask him, "Do you want me to carry you?" and would then settle him into the sling. As he eventually learned to talk, he would spy the sling and request: "Carry-you me?"
So bittersweet, the memory.
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