Image of Bay Area news anchor doing his daughter’s hair touches people all over country

[Liberal_in_LA]

TV anchor Frank Sommerville of Oakland, Calif., reports news stories on KTVU Channel 2 every night, but when he’s not on the show he’s just a dad at home enjoying life’s everyday moments.

Sommerville recently offered a glimpse into that life and posted the image above of himself carefully and patiently taking tiny braids out of his daughter’s hair on his Facebook wall.

He wrote:

So for those of you who think tv can be glamorous, this is how i spent my morning, learning how to take out my daughter’s braids. It takes a long time and a lot of patience!

The photo resonated with Sommerville’s fans because it captured one of those daily moments that parents often come to value most—and it showed a white father bonding with his black daughter. Frank’s daughter Callie is adopted and he says, “If someone were to ask me what I am most proud of in my life it is that we adopted Callie. Every day I can see the difference we made in her life, and everyday I experience the difference she’s made in ours.”

The image received over 18,000 likes, 3,600 shares and 2,000 comments.

http://blog.sfgate.com/sfmoms/2012/08/06/bay-area-news-anchor-does-his-black-daughters-hair-and-touches-people-all-over-country/

[NYC_SKP]

1. Heartwarming!

K/R

[elleng]

2. Thanks. Lovely.

Reminds me of the days when I did daughter's braid every day! She's just begun her new job as Occupational Therapist. Cut her baby hair 10+ years ago!

[siligut]

3. I remember my father washing my three year old head

He just fumbled his way through it, but I have a very fond memory of it.

[mcar]

4. Awesome dad!

Thanks for posting this! It truly brightened my day.

[Brickbat]

5. I find his quote odd.

“If someone were to ask me what I am most proud of in my life it is that we adopted Callie. Every day I can see the difference we made in her life, and everyday I experience the difference she’s made in ours.”

It sounds self-centered to me. Nice picture, though.

[Flatulo]

9. I don't think it's self-centered to want a wonderful child in your life.

I had a friend who had adopted a few children. People would say to him 'what a nice thing you've done', and he'd usually reply 'We didn't adopt to be charitable. We just wanted children.'

I'd never thought of it this way until he related that to me. I always thought people adopted because they wanted to help a child.

There's probably no perfectly inoffensive way to say what he said.

[TuxedoKat]

11. Strikes me as odd too

but he does seem like a loving dad.

[Brickbat]

19. Indeed. It could just be an awkward choice of words.

[TuxedoKat]

24. Yes most likely

My daughter was adopted from China too and I'm definitely very proud of her and very happy we adopted her. I think she will have a better life here than she would have had in China. That said, I have mixed feelings about the losses that happen with international adoption, loss of birth family, loss of culture, growing up in your birth country, etc. Most people I know who have adopted I haven't heard talk about being proud of their adoption the way he does. I can see what he says partially, I wish he would have worded it better though. I don't know how long he's had his daughter. He may speak of it differently after he's been her dad longer.

[murielm99]

26. I don't think it is odd.

I have not adopted, but I have three biological children. Children made a huge difference in my life. I think any parent will tell you that. It brought out the best in me and in my husband. I did not know that I could be completely unselfish and loving. I did not know how to put someone else first in my life. Until I had children, I did not know what love was. And that includes the teen years, the times they were ill, and everything in between.

[TuxedoKat]

27. Well

that's why I try to give him the benefit of the doubt as he is no doubt a loving dad. Parenthood has been the best thing in my life too.

[LanternWaste]

15. What specifically leads you to that conclusion?

"It sounds self-centered to me..."

What specifically leads you to that conclusion?

[Brickbat]

18. According to his words, what makes him most proud is his action and the results of that

action in her life. Many parents, when asked what they were most proud of, would say "my children" or "the fact that my children have grown into such accomplished (or whatever) people." Saying he is most proud of "adopting his daughter" sounds self-congratulatory to me. He could be an imprecise speaker; it happens.

[LibertyLover]

22. As the mom of an internationally adopted daughter

I understand exactly what he's saying. By adopting our little girl, her dad and I most certainly made a difference in her life. For one, while the US has air pollution, it's nothing like the city she was living in. Our pediatrician estimates that we added between 6 and 8 years to her life by getting her out of China. And she has most assuredly made a difference in our lives. Every evening when I put her to bed, I thank Kwan Yin for Her mercy in bringing us together and making us a family. Those impromptu demands for hugs, cuddles, tickles and requests to play Wii have no substitute. I don't see his statement as self-centered. Adoption is one of the most intentional ways to have children. I'm proud too that my daughter is adopted and that we made a difference.

[Brickbat]

23. I defer to your experience.

[Wait Wut]

28. We don't know the whole story.

It could be that his little girl had a very traumatic early life, possibly causing emotional and behavioral problems. She may have been a "difficult" adoption, little hope of ever finding a permanent, loving family.

Now, her daddy is doing her hair.

He may have every reason to be proud of himself and his daughter.

[Betsy Ross]

6. Thanks for posting.

Just read the story before leaving work. I was going to post it here, but you did it for me!

[Liberal_in_LA]

13. .

[skeewee08]

7. Love it

[Flatulo]

8. What a beautiful child, too, with beautiful braids.

They're lucky to have each other.

This brings back warm memories of all the wonderful times I had with my son.

[Brigid]

10. Very sweet picture!

Remember not too long ago when Obama told the story of the time he did Malia's hair when she was four and she called it a "disaster?"

[allan01]

12. re:Image of Bay Area news anchor doing his daughter’s hair touches people all over country

[Patiod]

14. What goes around frequently comes around

I am living with and taking care of my elderly dad.

The other night, he apologized to me for all the "trouble" he was. I said "all I remember is who was here to rock me to sleep when I couldn't stop coughing, even if you had work the next morning, and who held my head over the toilet when I used to get so sick from my periods as a teenager, and who used to take me out Christmas shopping every Christmas Eve."

This picture reminds me of that dynamic. Plus I'm adopted, too, so there's that.

[renate]

17. awwww

Your dad sounds like a sweetie, then and now. And you do too!

[uponit7771]

21. +1

[CatWoman]

16. I feel for him because those tiny braids are a bitch to get out

What a good dad

[uponit7771]

20. He's already way beyone my capabilities, I know how to do my sons hair but not my daughteras yet

[cbdo2007]

25. hair - the hardest part of having a daughter before she starts dating

[billky]

29. Daddy fixing daughter's hair

Sweet!

[wake.up.america]

30. This is the way it should be....

Sweet photo.

It's too bad this is sometimes the exception.