Closing Reflection: Holding the World Close
As we arrive at the end of this journey around the world in a baby carrier, one truth becomes clear: to carry a baby is to carry more than a small, soft body. It is to carry stories, songs, prayers, and the quiet strength of generations.
In every knot tied and every cloth wrapped, we find evidence of deep care and cultural wisdom. We see families adapting to mountains and deserts, weaving meaning into patterns, and finding ways to keep little ones close even in the hardest of times.
Through colonization, modernization, and cultural loss, these practices have endured — held tight by those who refused to let them disappear. And today, we see a beautiful revival: families everywhere returning to ancient ways, reclaiming the gentle rhythms of carrying and the intimate knowledge that babies belong on our bodies, not apart from them.
Babywearing teaches us that the simplest acts — wrapping a child, swaying together, listening to each other’s breath — are also the most powerful. It invites us to slow down, to listen deeply, and to remember that belonging is not just a feeling, but something we create together.
Whether you are a parent, a grandparent, a caregiver, or someone simply curious about these traditions, may you leave this journey feeling connected: to your baby, to your ancestors, and to families across the world who have carried their children in love for thousands of years.
May we continue to honor these traditions, to learn with humility, and to pass forward the soft, strong gift of carrying — heart to heart, across time and land.
Yvette O’Dowd with her daughter Kaitlyn and youngest grandchildren May 2021
