When Doug Henning met his biological father for the first time last week at Boston’s Logan Airport, he decided to accentuate the moment with some holiday cheer (and humor) for all to hear.
The Associated Press reports that Doug’s father found his son waiting for him outside the airport dressed up as Buddy the Elf from the 2003 holiday film “Elf” and, just like the movie, Doug greeted his father with a song.
“I’m here, with my dad. And we never met, and he wants me to sing him a song!” the Maine native belted from the airport pickup area.
Henning recently shared his thoughts on the encounter with Boston.com.
“When he came out of the airport, he probably thought I was a lunatic. ...It was a really good way to break the ice.”
Henning’s father didn’t completely understand the joke because he hadn’t seen the movie, but that didn’t stop him from greeting his son with a big hug, according to Boston.com.
Henning was connected with his biological father after meeting a few of his cousins through Ancestry.com. Similar to the movie, Henning’s father was unaware of his son’s birth.
With his cousins’ help, Henning got in touch with his biological father, initially through Zoom and then in-person over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Henning said that he was inspired to dress up as Buddy after watching “Elf” a few days before the meetup, according to The Associated Press.
After the experience, the Maine native said his father gained a son and also became a grandfather as Henning is the first of his father’s children to become a parent.