Axios Finish Line: The best free gift ever
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Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Axios CEO Jim VandeHei writes:
I got the best Christmas present ever. To regift it, I need to share the backstory...
When my oldest, Sophie, was a teenager, I started a tradition of writing down my observations about each of my three kids, and some life lessons animating them. Think character, grit, free thinking and courage.
- Then I'd frame these notes for their bedroom walls, usually for a special occasion.
- It was my small way of helping them think more deeply about life — and themselves.
- The notes were often prompted by our holiday "parlor game" conversations with family and friends. This year's theme was: What's one moment — big or small, substantive or silly, related only and selfishly to you — that was the most magical?
Why it matters: I hadn't written one in a few years, with the kids off to college. And this year I was stunned when all three children — two 20-year-old boys and a 22-year-old girl — each gave me framed, page-long letters in return. They were deep, vulnerable and wise.
- I could die tomorrow, victorious, after reading them.
The big picture: Lots of men, in particular, struggle with opening up to their kids. This simple act of writing down your thoughts, which is often easier for the emotionally reticent, is an easy way to do it. It gives you the space to sharpen your thinking and say what you feel in durable ways.
Funny thing: Odds are your notes will live long beyond any fancy trips or Xbox. And they don't cost a dime.
- Go deeper: Read Jim's how-to column about parlor games for big family gatherings.
