Do You Have a Kodak Moment?

by Alex Araneta

Many years ago Kodak came-up with a wonderful TV ad showing slices of happy moments in one’s life such as a birthday celebration, a wedding anniversary, a promotion perhaps or even a simple get- together with friends and family. These blissful moments they aptly called “Kodak moments” as a way of illustrating that these are moments so precious and few that it will always linger on in our thoughts and make us look back , remember and for the sentimental make us smile or even shed a tear.


I love those Kodak moments. I love it because it seems that they just happened yesterday and I am easily transported back to that magical time where I was oblivious to all the care in the world . I love it especially because I have someone to share it with and perhaps that person even shares the same “Kodak moment” as I do.


Last Saturday I had the chance to experience that moment once again. My eldest and only daughter Kally is graduating this March from High School and around this time the results for most universities are released. She had taken the college entrance exams of a number of schools but there was one school she really wanted to enroll in. After all it was the school her parents, uncles, Tito’s and Tita’s went to and many of her high school friends were all wanting also to enter into. Well that Saturday was the day of reckoning and we were informed that the results will be released as early as eight a.m. At first she didn’t want to go and get the results but after my repeated prompting she acceded and so off we went to that particular university. During the drive, I didn’t show it to Kally but many thoughts and emotions were running by me but foremost on my mind was “What if she won’t be accepted? How will she take it and how should I respond?” I was clueless to how I should react and the only thing I could think of is to just tell Kally that no matter what the results are one thing remains and that is the love that her parents have for her. And so we finally arrive at the school premises and Kally refuses to go to the bulletin board for the results so I volunteer to take a look. As I approach the bulletin board I could feel my heart pounding. Then a thought entered ; Funny but I am actually as nervous as my daughter and it isn’t even me who is going to college! So I’m now face to face with the bulletin board and my eyes start to scroll down the list of names of those who were either accepted or wait-listed. I see a family name that’s like ours but its not my daughter so I begin to panic. Wait! I see another name just like ours. I look closely horizontally and read the full name and its my daughter’s name. She made it! I eagerly now look for my daughter and as I haggle my way through a sea of anxious students and parents searching for their names on the board I see at a short distance Kally. She sees me and gives me a “So, what happened look”. I begin to tear and so does she as she was possibly thinking that my tears were an indication of her biggest fear. So I give her a smile and a thumbs up and we run towards each other and embrace tightly like it was a scene straight from a movie. There and then Kally and I just experienced a “Kodak moment” and for me our relationship will never be the same again as that bonding moment is now firmly embedded in my conscious memory.


As I ponder and look back I realize that “Kodak moments” could and should occur for relationships to strengthen and blossom. These moments in fact should not be confined to just the home but be extended to the organization as well. The circumstances naturally may vary but the rationale for these moments is universal. For instance, one basic leadership principle that comes to my mind is from John Maxwell who said “People will only go along when they get along” and I cannot think of a better way for people in an organization to “get along” than by sharing their own Kodak moments. And this I find so true with our organization as I have many moments I share with our partners Francis, Anthony and Ardy and likewise the same with them. This I guess is what strengthens us. This I believe is what binds us. This I am convinced is what will carry us and allow us to move forward.