The Gift Your Kids Will Remember Long After Christmas
It only took a few seconds. One email. One glance at my phone. And just like that, I traded a moment with my son for a problem I couldn’t even solve.
I was sitting on a bench at a trampoline park, pulling off my shoes, getting ready to jump in with one of my sons. It was our one-on-one afternoon. No work. No distractions. Just time together.
Then my phone buzzed.
One email from a frustrated client pulled me straight out of the moment. My mind flipped into work mode. What happened? How do I fix it? Who dropped the ball? None of it mattered. It was Saturday. Nothing was getting solved until Monday. But my attention was already gone.
While my thoughts spun, my son was already bouncing, glancing back every few seconds to see when I would join him. He was ready to create a memory. I was physically there, but mentally somewhere else entirely.
That night, after the boys went to bed, one sentence kept repeating in my mind:
I am one email away from ruining my weekend. And I can’t fix it until Monday anyway.
That realization changed how I think about presence.
Presence is not proximity. It does not happen automatically. You can be in the room, answer questions, move through the motions of a Saturday afternoon, and still be miles away. Presence is something you choose. Something you protect. Something you practice.
Attention is always a trade. When you give it to one thing, you take it away from something else. Too often, I was trading moments that mattered for problems that could wait.
So I changed the rules.
I deleted email from my phone (I later reinstalled it, but hid it deep on my phone). I turned off notifications. I stopped checking messages in the cracks of the day and started choosing when and where I gave my focus.
Not because work is unimportant, but because my family is irreplaceable.
There’s a quote that floats around this time of year: “The only people who will remember that you worked late are your kids.” It’s uncomfortable because it’s true. Whether it’s kids, friends, or family, they will never remember whether you were productive; they’ll remember how present you were when it mattered.
Christmas Makes This Even Clearer
This season fills our lives with meaning. Traditions return. Homes get louder. Schedules loosen. Conversations slow down. Whether you’re surrounded by kids, sitting across from a spouse, sharing a meal with friends, or visiting aging parents, these moments feel big because they are.
And yet, this is also when we are most tempted to stay half-present. One more message. One more deal. One more quick check-in before the break. One more Instagram scroll. We tell ourselves it will only take a moment. Those moments add up, and they quietly steal the very thing we want most.
The people in your life do not need a perfect Christmas.
They need you.
Not distracted.
Not multitasking.
Fully here.
Years ago, one of our BOLD team members shared a Christmas memory that has stayed with me. He woke up excited on Christmas morning and ran into the living room to see what was under the tree. There was one gift. A single chocolate bar wrapped with a red bow.
His father explained it was all they could afford that year. He doesn’t remember the chocolate bar; he remembers the feeling in the room. The look on his father’s face. The emotion of the moment. That memory shaped how he remembers his childhood.
Kids don’t measure Christmas in money. They measure it in moments.
Because the best thing you can give the people you love is not something you buy; it’s the version of you who shows up fully, again and again. Presence becomes the foundation on which relationships are built. It shapes trust. It deepens connection. It becomes the backdrop for memories that last.
Presence Makes You Wealthier
Here’s the part we don’t talk about enough. Presence also changes the way you handle money. When you are grounded and grateful, you spend differently. You stop buying out of stress or comparison. You invest with clarity. Your values sharpen, and your decisions follow. That alignment compounds in every area of life. Money can support presence. It can create margin for time, travel, and connection. But money can never replace you.
This season gives us something rare. A pause. A break from the noise. A chance to step back and decide what actually matters.
Use it well.
Choose one small boundary this week that protects presence. Delete one distracting app. Turn off notifications. Set specific check-in times. Put your phone in another room during meals. Turn off the TV. Not to be perfect. Just to be present.
Presence Compounds
There’s a line in Christmas Vacation where Cousin Eddie calls Clark’s Jelly of the Month Club bonus “the gift that keeps on giving the whole year.” It’s meant as a joke, but presence actually works the same way. When you show up fully, you create moments people carry with them long after the holidays pass.
Presence strengthens relationships. Strong relationships are one of the true foundations of a wealthy life. They compound quietly over time, shaping how connected, supported, and fulfilled you feel.
And unlike almost anything you can buy, presence doesn’t depreciate. It appreciates.
Merry Christmas from my family to yours. Thank you for being here and for choosing to build a life that lasts.
Your Turn
Before you move on to the next thing, pause and choose one presence-protecting boundary you’ll keep this week.
One is enough. Small decisions compound.
Give your family what only you can give.
Coming Next Week, Just for Subscribers
On December 30, you’ll receive a brand-new downloadable 2026 Clarity Workbook designed to help you reflect on the past year, clarify what matters most, and step into the new year with intention. It’s not about resolutions or hustle. It’s about alignment. Time, money, energy, and values work together rather than compete. Think of it as a guide for building a richer life in the year ahead.
Why We Build Wealth
At BOLD Wealth, we believe money is not the goal. It’s a tool.
We build financial wealth to create freedom. Freedom to be present. Freedom to spend time with the people we love. Freedom to live aligned with our values instead of distracted from them.
That’s the real payoff. That’s what it means to minor in money and major in life.
New to BOLD Wealth?
Here’s a simple Blueprint to BOLD Wealth that explains the philosophy, the core frameworks, and how money fits into a life that actually feels rich.
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Wonderful message, perfectly apropos for the season, but also for any time of year. Connection, through presence, is what we need most. Thanks for setting an example for your boys!
You point about spending habits changing as well is spot on.
When we are present and content, your mind begins to value things that money can’t buy. Life moves a little slower and so do our opportunities to spend.