One of the existential dilemmas of the reproductive phase of life is how to manage ambivalent feelings in the parent-child relationship. These feelings tap into larger existential concerns about meaning, finitude, isolation, and time. Sebastian Smee captures this well in his reflection on Sally Mann’s photograph, “Jessie Bites.”

“A Photograph That Captures the Profound Ambivalence Between Children and Parents,” by Sebastian Smee, New York Times, February 9, 2022.