We lift our voices in praise of Berry Brazelton, of a life lived creatively, courageously, insightfully, intuitively, of work that has been global and local, passionate and pragmatic, of his powerful imprint on the worlds of medicine, child development, parenting, and family life, of his continuous quest to make a difference, to keep on keepin' on. What follows is a discourse with Brazelton's work, a look through the lens of my own scholarship, teaching, and writings at his influence, at the ways in which our passions, preoccupations, and perspectives speak to and echo one another.
At the center of Brazelton's work -with infants, children, parents, colleagues, caregivers, diverse communities and cultural groups -are relationships of respect. He helps parents understand their babies, and feel validated, strengthened, and empowered to discover their own sources of wisdom, expertise, and rhythms for raising their children. He honors cultural contexts of family life, focusing on diversity and strengths, rather than pathology and an adherence to a monolithic developmental path. These important messages, he believes, must be conveyed through words and silences, gestures and attentiveness, symbols and metaphors of respect -given and received.