Heirloom basket

This heirloom basket, with its timeless charm, has served dual roles in my family. It has been with us for years, and although I am not entirely certain, I believe my mother, Fay, whom we affectionately called Mama, initially used it as a bed for one or more of us five Lankford children. This would place its origin at least in the late 1940s. I don’t remember sleeping in it, but every time I look at the basket, I hear Mama’s voice in my head saying, “Y’all used to sleep in it when you were babies.” My sisters have the same memory as I do.

For many years, it held a special place on the floor of Mama’s bedroom. As we grew older, the basket found a new purpose, becoming a trusted repository for dirty clothes. When Mama moved out of our Macon Drive house in Atlanta in 1979, the basket went with her. I didn’t see it for a long time until I discovered it in a closet of the house she lived in before her death in 2022. It was one of the cherished items I brought home when we cleared out her house that year. Today, it has a special place in my bedroom, where I use it to store extra quilts and blankets.

The basket is large—19 inches by 26 inches and 10 inches deep. It is well-worn, having cradled its share of babies and dirty clothes over the years.