Meg Gaudet is a fifth-generation Concord native — and proud of it.

“My grandfather, my mom’s dad, was a prolific builder. He built more than 300 homes in [the area] in the early 1900s,’’ says Gaudet, 55, who grew up in a house her grandfather built, the one where her mother was raised and still lives with Gaudet’s sister.

Gaudet, owner and operator of A New Leaf, a consignment shop in West Concord Center that also repurposes old furniture, says local history is like family history — something to share and celebrate.

As young children, her two sons (pictured with Gaudet in the photo at left), now in their 20s, took living in Concord for granted, and not just its history, but also the open space and being able to walk around safely at night, she says. “When they were kids, they didn’t realize that not everyone has this. . . . They went out and met people who live in more populated areas and realized I have really good things in my backyard.’’

A trip to Virginia was eye-opening for Gaudet, who saw how the Revolutionary War played out in other regions and realized that Concord’s role was only one of many pieces. Granted, it’s tough not to be laser focused when you live in a town where history comes alive every day.

But for Gaudet, it’s not just the past that makes the town so vibrant. It’s the people.

“We have friendly town personnel — from the folks who service our Concord light department and Concord Public Works to all the police and fire personnel,’’ she says.

Whether the town’s workers are hanging up holiday lights or checking the parking meters, they are never too busy for a quick hello and to ask her how business is going, she says.

“Everyone is gracious.’’

Hattie Bernstein can be reached at hbernstein04@icloud.com.