From when I (Ryan) was young my Holidays were never 'normal' per-say, having divorced parents, split holiday time and the like made for different kind of happenings in my young life (as young as 9 or 10).
Traditionally my Mom would get me on Christmas Eve, where we would visit my step father's side of the family for their big Christmas party; Then we would head home that night to find presents under our tree from Santa to open. He was always so kind and understanding of our confusing schedule, to assure the gifts would be delivered and available at just the right time for everything to work out!
Then Christmas Day would be spent with my Dad in the morning opening gifts with him, seeing his Dad in the late morning and catching a movie in theaters while we were over there waiting on an early dinner (lunch) to be finished. We then would head over to my step mothers side of the family in Kentucky to finish the late afternoon and evening.
A confusing schedule to figure out and adhere to for a 10 year old, but a routine it was yearly, so it became.
One thing always stuck with me though... seeing a movie in Theaters on Christmas Day, and with my Dad having passed away in 2010, I wanted to ensure that those fleeting good memories didn't just get lost in a shuffle to time and memory. Abby was 9, and Wonder Woman 84 just was released in theaters for the Christmas season.
I decided to strike while the iron was hot, and attempt to forge a new tradition, of old nostalgia with people I loved.. as my father had done with me. I don't know if it meant as much to Abby as it meant to me, now the father taking his daughter to a movie on Christmas to a deserted and empty theater during cheaper matinee prices (lol), but it really felt like a continuation of something for me that can be moved forward with hope and excitement knowing that every Christmas we will venture out into the snowy world and just see a movie; good, bad, or indifferent. We did something together that was meaningful and special.
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