Cousins help create ‘a Disneyland childhood’
Were your cousins your first friends?
For many people who grew up in rural Atlantic Canada, this was exactly the case.
“I grew up living next to two first cousins, Heidi and Jeremy Smith, and yes, they were definitely my first friends,” says Julie MacDonald, from Avonport, N.S.
“The only thing separating us was a small stream that ran between the two houses, which we spent hours playing on and in, and we even tried skating on it in the winter.”
Looking back, she compares her childhood to Disneyland.
“I also had other cousins who lived close by as well, the elementary school playground butted up to our backyards, the beach was a short bike ride, and a convenience store — run by my Nanny’s brother, of course! — was on the same road, all of which provided a Disneyland childhood.”
MacDonald says back then, everyone knew everyone, and it was a close-knit community.
Her father had 10 brothers and sisters who grew up in Avonport and many of them stayed in the community and raised their families there.
“I have 35 cousins on my dad’s side,” she says.
A SPECIAL CHILDHOOD
Like many of us, MacDonald was an adult when she realized how special it was to grow up in a rural community where her cousins were her best friends.
“Jeremy and I are the same age and Heidi was two years older. She, unfortunately, passed away last year at the age of 47. I have found many poems and cards Heidi wrote to me and have lots of pictures of us as kids, but my mom wrote a journal of my life that definitely depicts just how much time we spent together,” says MacDonald.
She recently received her baby books that her mom kept of MacDonald’s life from birth until she turned 18. Upon examining the books, “she (mom) captures just how much time we spent together,” MacDonald says.
Growing up and having families of their own, however, does change things.
"We are a pretty close-knit family and always have big hugs for each other and follow one another’s events on Facebook," she adds.
“Our dads are brothers and my dad goes to my uncle’s house every night for tea.”
MacDonald believes families are smaller now and generally more geographically spread out.
“I have many cousins out west and right before COVID, we had a family reunion that had 195 people attend.”
She also points out the internet has allowed her to keep in touch with those living abroad, “but the busyness of life has limited times for family gatherings and staying close.”
MacDonald’s grandmother knew the importance of family.
“My nanny made her kids promise before she died that they would stay close to family and that we would have an annual Boxing Day celebration (up until COVID, of course) for anyone who’s able to come, and usually some kind of summer bash.”