December 14, 2011

Childhood Memories - My First Christmas Present

In my last post I spoke about how, as a family,  we did not exchange Christmas presents.  Being together meant more than any gifts we might exchange.

By the time I was either 7 or 8 years old, I received my very first Christmas present.  My sister Claudia was ten years older.  She had left high school to go work in the mills as did many children at that time.

The first Christmas she was working she bought me my first doll and carriage that she gave me for Christmas.  As a child I thought it was the prettiest dolly ever.  She even had "hair"!  The carriage was grey with some kind of design on the sides and a canopy that went up and down over the doll's head.  I spent countless hours playing with this doll.  After that Christmas I really don't remember any Christmas presents until I was in high school but again, it didn't matter to us as long as we could all be together.  Whenever I think about it, I find it is amazing that the thought of a present never entered our minds.  In fact, one Christmas I remember my uncle Albert giving my brother Albert a fountain pen for Christmas.  Uncle Al was my brother's godfather.  I remember wondering why he was giving him a present!  Of course, my brother was five  years older than I was so there were many things I didn't understand yet.

Christmas was so simple then and we were focused on the true meaning of Christmas:  the birth of the Christ Child, sharing love with family, wanting to be nowhere but with family.  Now that was Christmas!

My wish for all is that we will once again embrace the true meaning of Christmas.

Love,

Your cousin Lucie
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Lucie's Legacy
Lucie LeBlanc Consentino

8 comments:

ladybird said...

Lucie, Your post really reflects what Christmas meant when we were children. Thank you for tkaing me taking me back there!

Lucie LeBlanc Consentino said...

Thank you for your post ladybird!

Yes, Christmas and life in general was much simpler then and it didn't take a whole lot for us to be happy.

Merry Christmas!

Lucie

Lori E said...

I must say I did feel the lack of Christmas presents in my family. Mainly because of the neighborhood kids getting so much and we had next to nothing. It was hard to go back to school and see everyone showing off what they had received.
The meaning was truly lost.

Lucie LeBlanc Consentino said...

Thanks for sharing Lori - I used to feel that when I would return to school after Christmas. After all some families were quite comfortable. There was no such thing as the middle class.

caper said...

Merry Christmas Lucie from your distant Nova Scotia Canada cousin (I think) I am just beginning the research into the LeBlanc ancestory. From what I am reading all LeBlanc's are related in one way or another.
Havea Happy 2012 New Year
Elizabeth (LeBlanc) Grabher

Lucie LeBlanc Consentino said...

Thank you for your message "Caper"..

If you are an Acadian LeBlanc all LeBlancs are related to one degree or another - can be close or can be distant cousins depending on which which of the children of Daniel LeBlanc and Francoise Gaudet they descend from.

Good luck in your search.. I am on facebook if you need help.

Lucie

Ginger Smith said...

I don't remember my first Christmas present, but I remember walking in on my mother one year and finding all my presents in her suitcase and finding out that Santa didn't really exist. After that year, she made me wrap my own presents but it was still fun to open them! Thanks for sharing.

Lucie LeBlanc Consentino said...

When other children would tell our daughters that there was no Santa Claus, I did not want to lie to them so I would tell them that if they believed in their heart that there was a Santa then there was a Santa for them.. they believed for quite a while - children should be allowed to be children ;) They grow up fast enough.

In my case one of my cousins couldn't wait to tell me he didn't exist..I was very saddened..we grew up poor so Santa was my hope at Christmas time ;)

Thanks for sharing Ginger!

Lucie