I’ve been looking at the picture for almost too long now. I see a child on a landing, one hand to his face, the other either grabbing the banister or waving or signaling to a person below: “I’m not going to make it up these stairs today, can someone kid me?”
But my left hand waves too much and my right sucks to calm the nervous system. So it’s “farewell”.
This is learned early. Here every morning. He belongs to it. But no matter how stable the ritual is, whether it’s straight back to bed or to daycare: there’s this brief pang until the thoughts move on. This stinging sensation is universal, we all know it. By the time you brush your teeth, the little pain the little person has probably forgotten.
For me, farewell is also part of the day in this picture. The more porous you are, the harder it is to start walking on your own and to let go briefly in the morning.
When I look at it, I feel what the warmth and strength of family means. Everyone leaving and staying would probably find it nicest to lie down in bed together and cuddle. Work, school or daycare are annoying at the moment.
What could your image description have to do with you personally?
I have this little pain so often when a concert is over. People go home, the hall is swept, and the lights and equipment are packed up. Even though I know it’s not the absolute end, the little ache in my stomach is the best indication of the importance of the things and people in my life.
Pictures tell stories and every story says something about the person who tells it. Based on an old projective test, the TAT, we show a prominent personality a picture and ask them to interpret the scene. You can find more articles from the “One picture, two questions” section here.
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