Family Movie Nights: A Tradition That Changed with Time but Stayed in Our Hearts
Growing up, Friday nights meant caramel popcorn, cozy blankets, and movie nights with Mom. While times have changed and the world of instant streaming has taken over, the cherished tradition of watching movies together reminds us of the beauty in holding onto simple joys and timeless memories.
Growing up, Anne, Mom, and I would always watch movies together. It was a tradition that mom started early on, and honestly, I’m sure she didn’t even start out to make it a “tradition.”
When we were kids, she worked very long hours in our country store. She opened the store at 6 in the morning and didn’t close it till 8pm. She worked 7 days a week and was dead tired by the time she locked the front door and called it a day.
But on Friday nights, Mom would prepare a pallet of blankets on her bedroom floor, make caramel popcorn and nachos, and we would watch movies. We all loved it and looked so forward to it. Of course, Mom would make it about 30 minutes, and she would be sound asleep. As a kid, this irritated me to no end. However, I am now 44, the age Mom was when she was running the store, and I can barely stay up till 9:30, and I’m not working over 80 hours a week. God bless her for even trying to stay awake. I think back on that time in her life, and I have no idea how she did it.
We loved to go to a little mom-and-pop store and rent movies. I can still hear Mom saying, “You can each choose two movies,” and off we’d go, strolling through all the isles looking and hunting. Then, of course, we’d come back with about 12 movies, half of them we’d seen a hundred times. The movie “Shag“ was always in the mix. Remember that movie? Oh gosh…Anne and I wore it out! I can still see Mom clear as day rolling her eyes, “I swear, you’ve seen that movie 5000 times; I’m not renting it again!” Ha!
After college, Anne and I moved in together, and our highlight was going to our local Blockbuster on Friday nights. I know it sounds wild, but there was such excitement about it. You opened the door and beelined it straight to the “new releases,” hoping and praying they had the movie you so badly wanted. If not, you would stalk the counter like a shark waiting to see if anyone would come in to return it so you could still get it. Remember? The anticipation of not knowing what you were going to watch that Friday night. I don’t know…I just loved it.Â
Now, everything is at our finger tips. It’s instant. It seems that the “looking forward to something” has gone away some. I guess, as they say…things are constantly changing. We can download a movie in 30 seconds today. The new movie hits the theater AND our TV almost simultaneously. At the movie store, I could find 12 movies I couldn’t wait to watch. Now I can scroll through 500 on the TV, and nothing looks appealing. I don’t know; it’s just not the same.
Change is inevitable. Sometimes it’s absolutely necessary, sometimes we have no control over it, sometimes it’s up to us to spark it….but change will happen. We no longer go to Blockbuster to rent movies. Mom sold the country store. Anne and I have grown up and run the family business. Mom now lives on the farm with us in her own apartment that we built for her several years ago. It was a scary change for her, and it was a bit hard. There have been some learning curves for all of us. That is evident in any change..it’s scary and new, but it’s also invigorating. We now get to be with Mom every day. We have coffee in the mornings and cook together. And we’re back to watching movies together. For her birthday this year, Mom said, “I want us to make some snacks and rent the new Elvis movie.” Anne and I immediately said, “YES!!” We’ll continue the tradition that she started 40 years ago. Just a couple of weeks ago, we watched a documentary on June Carter, and several times, I thought, “This is just like when we were little.“
If you’re craving a change in your life, I encourage you to take the leap. It will be hard, but on the other side, joy and enlightenment can be found. We’re designed to do hard things, my friends. However, just a tiny piece of advice… in all the changes that you make…hold on to something. Never let go of those tiny moments of the past that started insignificantly but somehow, along the way, become fond memories. Traditions are there for a reason, and they help remind us of a time gone but never forgotten. Keep them alive. It’s important.
Leigh, I really love this story. It takes me back when I use to do this with my kids. Love your stories about your growing up years. You are a great story teller..Vernon
Thank you so much Vernon! Your kind words made my day.
Leigh, I know this is my second comment. But your story really bri gs tears to my eyes. Not of sadness, but of joy. It calls back to my mind a family tradition that we had with my grandma. Every Friday evening we would watch rawhide, and then perry Mason. Of course she always made us snacks. Usually popcorn, but sometimes corndogs. I loved those Friday nights. My grandma is gone now, but those precious memories of our Friday nights will always live on. I told my kids about it so we made our Friday night tradition which was going to the movie store and renting those vhs movies. And we always had popcorn. I think your story makes such a beautiful point, spending time with your family is priceless. Making memories that will last a lifetime, thank you Leigh for refreshing my memories of just how important these things are…Vernon
Hi Vernon, how special is it that you had those memories with your grandma? I love that she made you corndogs! It’s wonderul when such a simple weekly tradition can become something that is so heartfelt later in life. Thank you for sharing your memories with us!!