At one year old, the world is a very new place … exciting and a bit scary, too. Here we
have our friend Paul and one of his twin girls, Lauren. The other twin, Ashley, is perched
on her mother Carla’s shoulder, out of view.
.
Paul and Carla have brought the girls to visit in our backyard. It’s a hot August afternoon.
We have the “INFLATE-O” pool filled with warm water, and my daughter Sarah and her
friend Jasmine have been in it for so long they almost have gills. I remember how strange
it seemed to me that, when the little ones arrived, Sarah was suddenly the “older” kid.
She and Jasmine slipped seamlessly into entertaining and watching the twins.
.
I titled this painting “harbour” because there is no better place to take shelter and from
which to observe the world, even if it is facing backwards. The altitude affords a broader
vista, and feeling safe allows the little eyes and mind to wander and wonder. At this point
in Lauren’s life, independence is still somewhat secondary. For Paul and Carla, it’s safe
harbour too – détente, in a way. A chance to take a breath and perhaps even enjoy a
little conversation beyond the word “no,” since as soon as the twins are back on the
ground, it’s instant mayhem. Somehow, each twin seems to have been programmed at
birth to charge in the opposite direction to the other, almost invariably toward anything
dangerous. At this age, that’s just about everything.
.
Lauren and Ashley are now two years old. Their senses of adventure and independence
are keener, but their parents’ shoulders are still that familiar, safe harbour. That doesn’t
seem to change with age.
.
Mark Heine