Heartfelt Gifts Are the Ones Readers Still Hold Dear
We asked for your favorite gift from past holidays. And you knocked our socks off with some incredible heartwarming stories--gifts as traditional as dollhouses and as original as an orange tree, tales from the Depression and the swinging ‘60s. Every story, well, tells a story.
Here’s a sampling:
“A doll-sized living room painted and papered by my uncle. It had curtains fashioned by my aunt from green plaid ribbon. . . . There were tiny chairs and tables and sofas, and even a tiny gold-framed picture hanging on a green wall. . . . Although I couldn’t have put it into words--part of the delight was in knowing how much I was cherished by Auntie and Uncle Jess.”
--Charmaine Parkes, Los Angeles
“Our newborn daughter was near death from meningitis. Doctor’s announcement that ‘she’ll completely recover’ came on Christmas Eve 1979--our best Christmas ever.”
--Tanya and Tim Hanson, Oxnard
“Three kids. No money. No husband. Just a heavy ball of worry in my stomach. In walks my brother-in-law with the most beautiful Christmas tree on Earth.”
--Anne Rosen, Los Angeles
“Coming home for Christmas my first year at Grambling State College in Louisiana. I loved college but was homesick.”
--Jan Freeman
Los Angeles
“It was 1935. . . . I was 8 and Daddy had just died. Momma needed to find work so we moved from a small town to a big city, leaving most of my toys behind. . . . I had begun to wonder about Santa but asked for a red Skippy Scooter anyway, not really expecting to get it. Wonder of wonders, there it was Christmas morning, along with doll clothes my aunt had made and a goldfish in a bowl with a tiny castle and colored shells.”
--Barbara B. Hedden
Laguna Beach
“My favorite holiday gift was a Valencia orange tree from my father that every year bears juice oranges, which I enjoy from May through September.”
--Lillian Kawashima
Los Angeles
“It was 1950, and I was 6, the only daughter of a beautiful mother who wore ruffled aprons and high heels to make dinner. . . . I presented her with a wish list that no doubt left her bemused and bewildered--a metal money changer like the newsboys on the corner wore . . . full cowboy regalia . . . a set of painted wooden milk bottles in their own red carrying basket . . . a small metal cash register. . . . Those were my heart’s desires, and each was there on the big morning.”
--Mary Reeder
Los Angeles
“Thirty years ago, it was a picture-filled paperback full of stuff about the Rolling Stones! Thanks, Santa!”
--Jeannie Cromie
Ojai
“In the ‘30s, a chest full of doll clothes my mother made was the best gift to my sister, 9, and me, 7.”
--Nancy Martorano
South Pasadena
“On Dec. 20, 1984, I was operated on for eight hours for a ruptured aneurysm in the brain. I’m extremely grateful for the God-given skills of the surgeon and the prayers of my friends and family.”
--William E. Hooper
Tujunga
“In 1930, I was 8 years old and received a doll, golden-haired with eyes that opened and closed. Our family had just lost a wonderful father, and this doll symbolized his memory. The doll still exists, and her eyes open and close.”
--Mary Bellmore
Playa del Rey
“I was 7 when Santa brought my motorcycle. That gift helped mold the woman I am today. I’ll never forget it.”
--Janet Brantley
(amateur racer)
Placentia
“My grandmother gave me a tiny Star of David for Hanukkah. It fell off during recess. My mother and I returned to the playground at Canfield Elementary School to search for it. When my mother found it, it was close to magical for me. Even though the necklace was stolen years later, it is still with me.”
--Joan Wagner
Long Beach
“A Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed animal from Sears. I was 5. It was the first time I cried tears of joy.”
--Tori Engel
Santa Monica
“In 1980, as a preteen in Southern California, my Schwinn Beach Cruiser. Oh, the cherry paint job, chrome wheels and whitewall tires! Sweet!”
--Holly Espinosa
Lomita
“I was a child in 1930; there was no money for nonessentials. I knew this, but I longed for a bicycle. Christmas morning--a bicycle! My brother had picked up discarded parts and with loving care had built a bike. Many colors, odd pieces, unforgettable.”
--Ellen Meehan
San Gabriel
“Dear friend gave me a beautiful, hand-painted china pitcher. Ex-husband had given it to her. Present husband hated it. I love it!”
--Ann Dutro
Camarillo
“When I was 7 or 8, I opened the most amazing present in all the world. A bright shiny model race car. It was aluminum with rubber wheels that could be detached, and the driver’s area was bright red. I played and played and played with that race car for years. I’m sorry I don’t have it now.”
--Don Maddox
Tarzana
“Marrying my husband, Wayne, on New Year’s Eve 1960, and remembering that magical time each holiday season is my best Christmas present ever!”
--Marjorie Flathers
San Bernardino
“In 1995, I was a struggling stock car driver at Saugus Speedway, and my father’s gift to me was a car trailer. Doesn’t sound that special, huh? Well, instead of always searching for a way to get to the track, I now had the time to work on my car and make it better. The result? I was the 1995 Saugus Speedway champion and the 1996 Kern County Raceway champion. My father provided a way to get to my dream.”
--Dana Rea
