That Little Camera

So many memorable images on this historic Inauguration day. But the one that was most striking to me as a father was Malia Obama taking pictures with her pocket-sized digital camera (this photo is from the other day—she’s been snapping all weekend).

This Inauguration may be the most photographed event in human history, and anyone can find thousands of professional photos of the day. But seeing Malia photographing gives me the sense that she’s present—fully experiencing the remarkable events as a kid would experience any other special event in her life—like an aunt’s marriage or a Grand Canyon trip.

 
She’s just going through this experience in a remarkably normal way. If I was Malia’s father, my greatest hope for her over the next four years would be a profound, rooted sense of “normal” in her life.
 
The fact that Malia is snapping pictures with a small camera (and is home tonight watching “Bolt”) tells me that she’s being very lovingly and well-raised by her parents and grandmother. That’s a great blessing, when seen through this dad’s eyes.
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About joe.kelly

Joe Kelly is an author, speaker, trainer and primary media source on fathering, appearing on the Today Show, Talk of the Nation, and in Time, People, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and dozens of other outlets. Joe is author of seven books, including the best-seller "Dads & Daughters®: How to Inspire, Understand and Support Your Daughter" which Dr. Mary Pipher calls “an essential aid for the fathers of adolescent girls.” Joe blogs at www.thedadman.com and www.dadsanddaughters.blogspot.com, writes for greatdad.com and fathers.com, has written for Parents and Mothering, co-founded the NGO Dads & Daughters® and helped his wife Nancy Gruver create the groundbreaking girl-edited, award-winning New Moon® Girls magazine (www.newmoon.com). Kelly won Father of the Year Awards from iParenting.com and the Women’s Sports Foundation, and won the USA’s Eating Disorders Coalition Activist of the Year award. He is President of the Minnesota Fathers & Families Network and serves on the steering committee of the Campaign for Commercial-Free Childhood. Kelly has advised the American Psychological Association Task Force on Sexualization of Girls, National Domestic Violence Hotline, Save Title IX Task Force, Men's Resource Center for Change, and Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day Foundation. He lives in St. Paul, Minnesota and has two grown daughters.

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One Response to That Little Camera

  1. prachi January 22, 2009 at 1:07 pm #

    That was such an adorable moment!