What family traditions do you follow?
Maybe you always make the exact same cake for your kids on every birthday, or still use the same Christmas tree skirt your great-grandmother made.
Maybe, like this gorgeous bride on her wedding day, women in the family pass down their wedding gowns!
No matter what your family traditions are, they’re all a beautiful way to celebrate shared history. And, best of all, there’s always room for new traditions to be born.
That’s the beauty of family traditions — they grow and change with the family, and evolve over time!
For example, years back, one dad decided to make a cradle by hand for his baby boy. Now, that baby boy is all grown-up and continuing the legacy, because it’s his turn to become a dad for the first time!
Now, he and his dad (soon to be a grandpa!) are building that exact same crib all over again, for a baby girl on the way.
Scroll through the gallery below to see their beautiful project in action!
The story first began circulating a few years ago, via the image-sharing site, Imgur.
Imgur user Leesburgcapsfan started off by sharing a beautiful 30-year-old photo of his dad sitting next to a recently completed cradle 30 years ago.
According to the poster, "He built this bassinet for me with a couple pieces of pine and a hand saw. Fresh off the boat from Poland, it's all he could afford."
Thirty years later, the baby boy who was once rocked to sleep in that cradle is a man, expecting a baby girl of his own.
The original cradle is long-lost after passing through the hands of friends and family for decades, but there's still one piece remaining: the scrap wood template for the heart-shaped head and footboards of the bassinet.
But it's enough for father and son to work with!
They're both talented woodworkers and, with teamwork, they know they'll be able to recreate the crib with no trouble at all.
The two were quickly able to create a new footboard to match the original headboard. Here they are, side-by-side.
For weeks, they carefully measure, saw, and sand.
It's a true labor of love, using traditional woodworking techniques that are exacting and time-intensive.
Everything was carefully notched and pegged together, and lovingly finished into a perfect cradle.
When all was said and done, they had a bassinet much like the version from thirty years ago.
This one had the exact same heart-shaped headboard and footboard, and carefully-crafted railings with a pretty hand-cut bowed detail across the top.
There are hardwood rockers on the bottom, and slats for the mattress to rest on once it's in place.
Of course, it wouldn't be a family tradition if they didn't make sure to catch a picture of the dad-to-be sitting cross-legged next to his handiwork!
Just like his dad thirty years earlier, he looks proud of his work, and is beyond excited to have his bundle of joy sleeping soundly in that crib.
He writes in the caption, "30 years later, and pretty darn close to the original."
Naturally, however, they aren't done yet!
Like we said earlier, the beauty of traditions is that they grow and change with every new generation.
For this photo, Grandpa is sitting proudly on the other side — we have a feeling that, between Dad and Grandpa, this little girl will never have a want for anything!
What did you think of this adorable next step in a family tradition? Let us know in the comments and don't forget to SHARE with friends and family with important traditions all their own.
