Every December, I notice how quickly everything speeds up. The lists get longer, the days get shorter, and the pressure to make everything perfect somehow sneaks in. Somewhere between the shopping, the decorating, and the rushing, we start to lose sight of what this season is really about.
It’s easy to get caught up in the search for the right gift—something thoughtful, something special, something that says I care. But I’ve realized that the most meaningful gift we can ever give doesn’t come with a receipt. It’s not something we can hold in our hands — it’s the way we show up. It’s our presence.
Presence is more than just being physically there. It’s when you set your phone aside, soften your thoughts, and actually see the person in front of you. It’s when you stop planning what to say next and simply listen. It’s when your mind quiets long enough for your heart to lead.
This kind of presence can’t be faked—people feel it. They feel when you’re genuinely with them. And those are the moments that stay. The moments when you laugh until your stomach hurts, or when someone says something that shifts the way you see the world, or when silence feels comfortable because your energy is speaking louder than words.
Over the years, I’ve started giving differently. Instead of rushing to buy more things, I focus on creating experiences that hold meaning. I’ll plan a dinner where everyone leaves their phones at the door. I’ll take a trip somewhere to reconnect. I’ll spend time with someone who needs to be reminded they matter. These moments become memories—and memories last longer than anything money can buy.
A friend recently told me, “I stopped giving gifts because my time is what people remember most.” That stayed with me. Because time is something we never get back, and when we choose to share it, we’re saying, You’re important to me. I want to be here.
So maybe this year, we shift our focus. Maybe instead of asking, What should I buy? we ask, How can I show up? Maybe we give fewer things and more moments. Fewer words and more listening. Fewer plans and more peace.
Because one day, when the wrapping paper is gone and the gifts have faded into memory, what will remain is how we made people feel. And that’s the kind of giving that never loses its meaning.
This season, give the gift that can’t be wrapped—your time, your love, your presence. The one thing the world needs most, and the one thing only you can give.
The most meaningful gift we can give is our presence.