Howell-Sickles tells us, I wanted to show three ages of women, who all might be the same woman at different times in her life. The youngest on the left leans forward - she's eager to go out into the world. The older woman on the right, while a little more cautious, values who she is and folds her arms as if to safeguard her thoughts and emotions. The oldest woman represents that time of life when we no longer seek too much attention from others; she's comfortable being herself.