For the past seventeen years I have written “The Christmas Letter” to my family. It started as one of those travelogues, those look at us kind of messages we got as inserts in Christmas cards. “Sam did this. Lisa did that. We traveled to…” Oh, you get them too? But the “Letter” has evolved over time. Focused in latter years more on the values and principles our family should hold dear amidst the chaos, cultural challenges all around us today.Then along came my grandchildren. Four boys… one 10; triplets 13 and a girl 13. As they grew I saw their wins, saw their disappointments. On their teams, in the classroom. Oops! Now with a girlfriend or boyfriend?

They were growing up.Which brings me back to my letter. Maybe this could be a forum for speaking to my precious audience? Maybe I could coach my grandchildren a little. Pass on a piece of wisdom or two.So in 2014 my letter focused solely on passion. Nothing important in life gets done without passion. In 2015 the focus was confidence. Passion without confidence is diffused, weakened. Three days ago I added determination.

You can be passionate, confident. But without determination… you won’t make it. All these were 300 words or so.But would my grandchildren read my letters? Would my daughters and sons in law read them? Would they have any impact?Jake, my ten year old is passionate about baseball. Always so excited about every practice, every game… every “catch” with his dad. Is he the star on the team? Maybe not. Does he enjoy his baseball the most? Yes.

Last summer I was at one of his games. Jake was in the on deck circle. Men on base. He had struck out and hit a weak pop up to the pitcher in previous visits to the plate. I moved over to the screen next to the dugout to get a better look at Jake’s at bat. He sees me and runs over peering wide eyed through screen at me. “PopPop! PopPop! The first word was passion… what was the second?!” Confidence, Jake, confidence. “Oh yeah. Confidence! Thanks…

Line drive double to left field. There have been many affirmations since. From the triplets, from my beautiful granddaughter.Bottom line: “The Christmas Letter” just set the table. For check ins, talks about the three crucial values. About their young lives. And by the way. One of my mantras, “The weakest pencil stroke is better than the strongest memory.” “The Letter” will be there long after I’m gone. The older they get, the more my grandchildren may understand. No greater gift to me than this during this wonderful time of every year.