As she did when growing up in Warsaw, my mother loved the balcony in our Chicago apartment. The stuffed animal that she’s holding was my favorite. It was relatively new in this picture. I remember it from when I was some years older, after it had been well-loved for most of my childhood. In my recollection it looked gray and nubby (the color and texture of oatmeal) rather than white and fluffy as it is here.