Mother and Daughter
China, Yunnan Province 2005
Harvest time is intense. Crops must be cut at the peak of ripeness. The threat of rain means that the entire village is in the fields working from dawn to dusk. Here a mother harvests rice by cutting or maybe she is breaking the stalks by hand. Her small daughter must spend the day at her side.
When I look at this photo, I can hear the girl telling her mother that she is bored, or hungry or thirsty or wants to go to her friend’s house. The girl has her hand to her mouth in the classic gesture of wheedling. If I were the mom, I’d be making suggestions like, “why don’t you make mudpies?” but maybe she has a “Tiger Mom”. Have you read about them? A Tiger Mom would be practicing the multiplication tables with her 5 year old daughter.