2-year-old meets Michelle Obama after photo admiring portrait goes viral
Mar 7, 2018, 4:25 AM
FILE - In this May 12, 2017, file photo, former first lady Michelle Obama smiles while speaking at the Partnership for a Healthier American 2017 Healthier Future Summit in Washington. The former first lady tweeted Sunday, Feb. 25, 2018 that her memoir, one of the most highly anticipated books in recent years, is coming out Nov. 13, 2018, and is called "Becoming." (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)
It’s not everyday that you get to meet your idol and get to have a dance party with them.
But that dream came true for 2-year-old Parker Curry, whose idol just happened to be former first lady Michelle Obama.
Parker has long looked up to Obama — literally.
The 2-year-old captured hearts across the nation when a photo of her admiring the first lady’s portrait at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. went viral on social media.
According to NBC’s Today show, fellow gallery visitor Ben Hines took the photo of Parker as she was entirely enraptured by Obama’s portrait and shared it on Facebook last week.
The photo was reacted to on Facebook more than 26,000 times, commented on more than 1,500 times and shared more than 35,000 times as of Tuesday.
It was also reposted and shared hundreds of times, with each of the subsequent posts garnering thousands of likes and comments.
This is for all those who tell me I'm too negative, and never post anything positive. Feast your eyes on this gorgeousness… pic.twitter.com/REKjjVUIRu
— Evan Handler (@EvanHandler) March 2, 2018
Excuse us while our hearts explode…
This image taken by Ben Hines at @NPG yesterday is the perfect segue from #BlackHistoryMonth to #WomensHistoryMonth!#RiseUpAsOne pic.twitter.com/pdqnH9runq
— California Endowment (@CalEndow) March 2, 2018
Parker’s mother, Jessica, told NBC News that she was trying to get her daughter to turn around for a proper photo, but she would not budge.
“She was focused on it and I couldn’t see her facial expression from my point of view but Ben Hines, who was on the side, could see that she was just awestruck,” she said.
“She was captivated. She was focused on the picture and he was lucky to capture a really special moment because I couldn’t capture it from behind her. And then she eventually did turn around and she ran off so I never got a really good picture of her with the portrait.”
The photo eventually made its way to the former first lady herself — who invited Parker to have a formal meet-and-greet and a little dance party.
Parker, I'm so glad I had the chance to meet you today (and for the dance party)! Keep on dreaming big for yourself…and maybe one day I'll proudly look up at a portrait of you! pic.twitter.com/faUVTsYWun
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) March 6, 2018
“Parker, I’m so glad I had the chance to meet you today (and for the dance party)! Keep on dreaming big for yourself…and maybe one day I’ll proudly look up at a portrait of you!” the tweet read.
The song of choice for the dance party? Taylor Swift’s “Shake It Off,” a song that was enjoyed by both Obama and Parker.
