Paul Sassone

We tend to confuse cost and worth, though there may be no necessary connection.

Take this little basket, for instance. No one would believe it costs much.

But as for its value …

It’s made of purple plastic, open at the top with two handles. On two of its four sides are one-inch white bunnies holding a carrot. The basket is small, maybe six inches long, four inches wide and thee inches deep.

This basket is the end product in a long line of Sassone Easter baskets.

As far back as I can remember my mother would create impressive Easter baskets — one for me, one for Mike, one for Sharon and one for Tim.

During my mother’s Easter basket heyday, each basket was about a foot square. Scattered amid the fake green grass were three or four colored eggs, handfuls of jelly beans, Mary Janes, bull’s eyes, a Tootsie Pop, a solid milk chocolate bunny, a cream-filled egg and some loose change.

She did this every year, for decades. Even after we grew up and moved away, Easter could not happen until each of us received a basket from Mom.

But, even mothers slow down.

Over the years as Mom had problems getting around, the size and contents of the Easter baskets shrank. She just couldn’t keep up the pace, but she was determined her Easter basket tradition would continue.

And continue it did.

This purple, plastic, made in China basket is the last one she made for me.

I know it didn’t cost much.

But its worth?

Beyond price to me.

I keep it next to my bed where it holds my book light.

It makes the light brighter.

–Easter basket worth is beyond price to me–