This is the earliest picture I have of my mother. The youngest among four siblings, she appears to be around two years old in this wonderfully-staged studio photo. Her sister Felicia, the oldest child, appears to her left and her two brothers, Sevek (Seweryn) and Stasiek (Stanislaw or Stanley), are to her right. My mother was closest to Sevek, who was two years older and her constant companion in early childhood. Although they are presumably in a boat, the inclusion of the lamp and flowers in the background make it clear that it’s not intended to be realistic.